Re: ConNumbers

a la Tom Weir:
>Here's a system I've never seen worked out, or even heard of:
>a system based on pi, or e, or other irrational numbers like that.
>Anyone want to take a crack at that?
        It's possible, certainly, but is it practical?  I suppose mathematically
you could write base-pi numbers using only the digits 0, 1, 2 and 3, but
what kind of crazy stuff would it give us?  I do see its mathematical
application ... maybe a geometrically-inclined conculture would use it?
        Along those lines, I recently read the book "Anvil of Stars" by Greg Bear.
He created an alien race he called "The Brothers" that used a really odd
mathematical system like that.  They don't even have counting numbers like
we do.  Instead they use "smears of probability" (to borrow Bear's phrase).
It's certainly a good read ... Bear is quite a good author.


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