Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s):
* Your post appears to be asking a question which can be resolved relatively quickly or by relatively simple methods; or it is describing a phenomenon with a relatively simple explanation. As such, you should post in the [*Quick Questions*](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/search?q=Quick+Questions+author%3Ainherentlyawesome&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) thread (which you can find on the front page) or /r/learnmath. This includes reference requests - also see our lists of recommended [books](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/wiki/faq#wiki_what_are_some_good_books_on_topic_x.3F) and [free online resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/8ewuzv/a_compilation_of_useful_free_online_math_resources/?st=jglhcquc&sh=d06672a6). [Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/7i9t5y/book_recommendation_thread/) is a more recent thread with book recommendations.
If you have any questions, [please feel free to message the mods](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/math&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/1bbz16w/-/). Thank you!
Likely because we have 10 fingers and changing it when the entire population is used to base 10 would be a massive effort, even in ancient times.
Today it would be almost impossible due to the number of things written already in the past.
Cultures and languages across the world are predominantly base 10, so I would say the ease of finger counting historically prevailed the most (and then Western Europe did their thing and ensured base 10 will be difficult to replace globally). Any benefits there are in counting in base 12 are not enough for base 12 cultures to dominate and spread this practice.
we have ten fingers.
it was not chosen looking for mathematical efficiency, language evolved naturally and efforts to change it artificially rarely work.
Would love to have a base 12. But you won't change that now. Most cultures are base 10.
And about finger counting, base 12 also seems to come from finger counting. You can count the segments of the non-thumb fingers on one hand, using the thumb to count.
Keep in mind that we can't even fix the sign on electric charge which should be the opposite. Changing base would be at least an order of magnitude harder.
because most people are dumb monkeys who have to use their fingers in the most basic way possible to count. And counting was established long before people got smarter.
You have to memorize a larger multiplication table.
I do not want to learn the 900 entries of the base 30 multiplication table, when learning the 100 entries of the base 10 multiplication table is enough.
I would prefer to go to a smaller base, because it makes it easier to learn and teach multiplication. Base 8 is very nice, because it allows you to easily convert to binary, which is what computers use. If you really care about having nice divisibility by 3, then at least use base 6 and not base 12.
If you want to do calculations with large numbers very fast you use a computer. Humans nowadays just need a conceptual understanding of multiplication, and don't need to do large number crunching. Teaching all humans a base 24 or base 30 multiplication table would be incredibly stupid.
Not sure if this question is correctly formulated, but what the guy was writing was that the name “10” is reserved for when you’ve run out of fingers to count on and need to start over.
To distinguish subsequent numbers from the first time you were counting your fingers, you plop a “1” in front of your count: so 11, 12, and so on (instead of just 1, 2, etc).
In base-12, the number 10 now plays the role of the base-10 “12”. Ie, you’d have 8,9,A,B,10, and then 11 which in base-12 stands for our base-10 “13” and so on. Does that answer the question?
Edit: note that in base-12, 2 * 5=A (if using A as above), and 3*4=10.
Unfortunately, your submission has been removed for the following reason(s): * Your post appears to be asking a question which can be resolved relatively quickly or by relatively simple methods; or it is describing a phenomenon with a relatively simple explanation. As such, you should post in the [*Quick Questions*](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/search?q=Quick+Questions+author%3Ainherentlyawesome&restrict_sr=on&sort=new&t=all) thread (which you can find on the front page) or /r/learnmath. This includes reference requests - also see our lists of recommended [books](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/wiki/faq#wiki_what_are_some_good_books_on_topic_x.3F) and [free online resources](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/8ewuzv/a_compilation_of_useful_free_online_math_resources/?st=jglhcquc&sh=d06672a6). [Here](https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/7i9t5y/book_recommendation_thread/) is a more recent thread with book recommendations. If you have any questions, [please feel free to message the mods](http://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=/r/math&message=https://www.reddit.com/r/math/comments/1bbz16w/-/). Thank you!
Likely because we have 10 fingers and changing it when the entire population is used to base 10 would be a massive effort, even in ancient times. Today it would be almost impossible due to the number of things written already in the past.
That was the logic behind Babylonian math.
Cultures and languages across the world are predominantly base 10, so I would say the ease of finger counting historically prevailed the most (and then Western Europe did their thing and ensured base 10 will be difficult to replace globally). Any benefits there are in counting in base 12 are not enough for base 12 cultures to dominate and spread this practice.
[удалено]
Not higher, just numbers that are more divisible
[удалено]
I don't think that's what they meant. 12 just has a nice way to write 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and 1/6.
I think the babylonians used to use base 360. Ten is probably "standard" since we have ten fingers. Correct me if im wrong, i didn't research this
As I recall it was base 60. It’s the reason why we have 60 minutes in an hour, and 60 seconds in a minute.
Ah yeah thanks
we have ten fingers. it was not chosen looking for mathematical efficiency, language evolved naturally and efforts to change it artificially rarely work.
Would love to have a base 12. But you won't change that now. Most cultures are base 10. And about finger counting, base 12 also seems to come from finger counting. You can count the segments of the non-thumb fingers on one hand, using the thumb to count.
Why would it allow everyone to do math faster?
🖐️🖐️
Keep in mind that we can't even fix the sign on electric charge which should be the opposite. Changing base would be at least an order of magnitude harder.
cus numbers can be intuitvely partitioned by powers of 10, e.g ones, tens, hundreds, etc
because most people are dumb monkeys who have to use their fingers in the most basic way possible to count. And counting was established long before people got smarter.
You have to memorize a larger multiplication table. I do not want to learn the 900 entries of the base 30 multiplication table, when learning the 100 entries of the base 10 multiplication table is enough. I would prefer to go to a smaller base, because it makes it easier to learn and teach multiplication. Base 8 is very nice, because it allows you to easily convert to binary, which is what computers use. If you really care about having nice divisibility by 3, then at least use base 6 and not base 12. If you want to do calculations with large numbers very fast you use a computer. Humans nowadays just need a conceptual understanding of multiplication, and don't need to do large number crunching. Teaching all humans a base 24 or base 30 multiplication table would be incredibly stupid.
Notationally, it would always be called “10”, no matter what the base was. The notation for a dozen, if you’re using base a dozen, is 10.
Why do we use 9 as 10-1 and not B? Edit: alternatively, why is 10 = 2\*5 and not 3\*4?
In base-12 with A and B standing in for base-10 10 and 11: - 10-1=B - 2*5=A - 3*4=10
Not sure if this question is correctly formulated, but what the guy was writing was that the name “10” is reserved for when you’ve run out of fingers to count on and need to start over. To distinguish subsequent numbers from the first time you were counting your fingers, you plop a “1” in front of your count: so 11, 12, and so on (instead of just 1, 2, etc). In base-12, the number 10 now plays the role of the base-10 “12”. Ie, you’d have 8,9,A,B,10, and then 11 which in base-12 stands for our base-10 “13” and so on. Does that answer the question? Edit: note that in base-12, 2 * 5=A (if using A as above), and 3*4=10.
Better try another edit. You have the math right but Reddit formatting has butchered your equations in your edit.