What is the next number in this sequence?
104, 125, 203, 311, 1222, ???
(In reply to
re: Aha! by Lewis)
Lewis, bases are a confusing topic when you first learn of them. Let's start by first considering how people count. Normally when we count, our numbers go
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and
10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 etc.
The biggest single digit we have is "9", and there are nine numbers before we get to the double digits. But one could instead count in base 3, for example, where the numbers go
1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100, 101, 102, 110 ...
In base 3, the largest single digit is "2", and then one would have to start over in the double digits.
In base 10, if we consider the number "468", the 8 is said to be in the ones' place, the 6 is in the tens' place, and the 4 is in the hundreds' place. In base 3, considering the number "201", the 1 is in the ones' place, the 0 is in the threes' place, and the 2 is in the nines' place (9 of course is 3 squared).
Why use different bases other than base 10? Because it's easier for computers, that's why. The most common bases are hexadecimal (base 16, where the numbers go 1 thru 9, A, B, C, D, E, F, 10), octal (base 8), and binary (base 2, which only uses zeros and ones, like switches turned on and off).
For a good website on the topic, check out
http://www.dsgb.orbix.co.uk/doggie.htm
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Posted by Bryan
on 2003-04-16 06:36:37 |