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YouTube

Think Like a Babylonian - With Centimal Base 100 Arithmetic - Sociology and Pure Maths

Insights into Mathematics via YouTube

Overview

Explore the fascinating world of Babylonian arithmetic in this 29-minute video lecture. Delve into the ancient Mesopotamian mathematical system by examining a modified version of our Hindu-Arabic system using base 100 arithmetic. Learn about true floating point calculations, similar to those used by Babylonians between 1900-1600 B.C.E. Discover how multiplication and addition differ from modern methods, and consider whether this system might be superior to our base 10 system. Gain insights into the remarkably advanced mathematics of this ancient civilization, now hidden beneath Iraqi sands. Follow along as the lecture covers topics such as digit representation, conversion between centimal and decimal systems, digit product evaluation, square tables, and the importance of alignment in centimal number addition.

Syllabus

Introduction
Digits
Converting from centimal to decimal
How to evaluate products of digits?
Tables of squares
Addition of centimal numbers requires alignment

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Insights into Mathematics

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