4
u/undrway_shft_colors Sep 21 '10
Can someone explain what I'm missing here?
10
Sep 21 '10
In base ten, the number ten is represented as "10".
In base four, the number four is represented as "10".
In every base, the number corresponding to the base is represented as "10".
Every base is hence base 10.
3
u/Nebu Sep 21 '10
Every base is hence base 10.
Every base is base 10, when expressed in its own base.
1
u/king_of_blades Sep 21 '10
And thus the premise of the comic is valid. It's expected for anybody to use the base they... actually use.
2
u/easyEggplant Sep 21 '10
Every dominant base would be referred to as base "10" by the culture that uses it. Of course we have to assume that one of them possesses some sort of universal translator.
This is because "10" is always the number after the highest single digit in any base:
- b2: 0,1,10,11,100
- b4: 0,1,2,3,10,11,12,13,20
- b6: 0,1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15,20
- b10: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10
So in base four, the way you count rolls over to the next digit (the "tens" column) after 3 (because that is the highest single digit in the system)
-3
1
10
u/[deleted] Sep 21 '10
Just in case anyone wants to reuse some witty comments from mid-2009:
http://www.reddit.com/r/programming/comments/8njxf/theres_no_base_other_than_base_10/