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NNTP-Posting-Date: Tue, 04 Mar 2025 04:11:11 +0000
Subject: Re: evolution of bytes, The joy of FORTRAN
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On 3/3/25 7:36 PM, Peter Flass wrote:
> Lawrence D'Oliveiro <ldo@nz.invalid> wrote:
>> On Mon, 3 Mar 2025 06:54:31 -0700, Peter Flass wrote:
>>
>>> Some fractions that are exact in decimal are only approximate in binary.
>>
>> Base-ten has two prime divisors: 2 and 5. Base-two has only 2. So any
>> fraction that has a denominator that is the product of any integer powers
>> of those divisors can be represented exactly, while others cannot.
>>
>> The need to represent 1/3 exactly is also quite common. That’s why I think
>> the smallest place-system base that can cope with a reasonable range of
>> fractions is 30 -- it has 2, 3 and 5 as prime divisors, and so can cope
>> with fraction denominators made up arbitrary products and integer powers
>> of all of those.
>>
> 
> 60 is nice

   The Babylonian number system was base-60 ....

   Maybe they knew something ?   :-)