RE: MATH: Number Base Models

lawsd (david.laws@nih.gov)
Fri, 1 May 1998 15:10:05 -0400


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In a highly rapid semi-conductor based individual could '*' be treated
as irrational numberset? As in *square root of -l? Future silicon
based life forms should be able to denote 0, 1, and irrational
numbers.

- ----------------------------------------------
A rose by any name would smell as sweet.
-or-
Call it art if you wish, it is still junk.
- ----------------------------------------------
David R. Laws <david.laws@nih.gov>
Systems Alchemist
DarkMatter is out there...
NIH/CIT/NSB/SDSS-NT

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hal Finney [mailto:hal@rain.org]
> Sent: Friday, May 01, 1998 2:56 PM
> To: extropians@extropy.com
> Subject: Re: MATH: Number Base Models
>
>
> It is common in discussions of the theory of computing (turing
machines
> and related topics) to denote numbers by a string of repeated,
identical
> symbols, where the number of symbols in the string is the value of
> the number. There have to be other symbols, of course, so that the
> starting and ending of the number can be indicated. So you might
have
>
> ***%****#*******@
>
> which could be a representation of 3 + 4 = 7.
>
> I think it is confusing to carry over our common sense ideas of 1's
> and 0's to this kind of notation. The symbols acquire value based
on
> how they are being used. Are the "*" above acting like 1's? Like
0's?
> Not necessarily either one.
>
> Hal
>
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