Not mathematically and theoretically, but practically, dividing 10 by 4 is neat enough, giving 2.5. There have been feet of 10 inches and rods of 10 feet in the past. Their division by 4 was no more difficult than dividing the traditional 12 foot rod (on the European mainland; not in UK/USA where 1 rod is 16'6'' ) and the 12 inch foot by 4. 3 and 6 are the numbers that really clash with 10. The Amsterdam foot was 11 inches. Try to divide that one! It was used in shipbuilding and I think that it caused a lot of head-aches. The duodecomal system has some advantages, but changing to it means that we have to start from scratch with mathematics and numbers in general and the cost would be prohibitive. Even all analogue clocks with their 2 times 12 will have to make way for new clocks (2 * 10 dd) and all electronic ones need a new chip with software. The present systems of units, SI and ifp, will go the scrap yard too. It would be a very nasty surprise for the BWMA and some supporters of base 12 when they found out that their beloved Imperial and USC would die together with SI and that everybody on this planet would have to carry the same burden of change. Many BWMA etc. think that ifp is base 12 because the foot is 12 inches! It is simply too late to change the base of our numbers, but a duodecimal SI would be perfectly possible, I think.
Han ----- Original Message ----- From: "Adam Baranski" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2002-01-05 07:11 Subject: [USMA:17207] Re: The number twelve and the universe!! From: "Adrian Jadic" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> It took man a lot of time to develop mathematics well beyond counting eggs and fruits in the market to realize that the 12 base system is limited and that the 10-base is better.> The base 12 system is not limited in any way from a mathematical point of view. As a matter of fact, it's more versatile than the base 10 system. A group of 12 items divides neatly by 2, 3, 4 and 6. 10 devides only by 2 and 5. <snip>
