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Date:         Wed, 28 Jul 1993 10:52:22 EDT
Reply-To: John Cowan <snark!cowan@GVLS1.VFL.PARAMAX.COM>
Sender: Lojban list <LOJBAN%CUVMB.bitnet@YaleVM.YCC.YALE.EDU>
From: John Cowan <snark!cowan@GVLS1.VFL.PARAMAX.COM>
Subject:      Re: response to jimc on -mei
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To: Erik Rauch <erikr@MINERVA.CIS.YALE.EDU>
In-Reply-To:  <9307262323.AA08105@relay1.UU.NET>; from "Chris Handley" at Jul
              27, 93 11:25 am
Status: RO
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Message-ID: <O0xIIpNjMHH.A.tQ.D10kLB@chain.digitalkingdom.org>

la .kris. xandlis. cusku di'e

> Had a sudden thought. If all fractions are (ipso facto) base 10, how do we
> easily talk about 1/3, 1/7 and the rest. Even the others (1/2 etc) would
> change if someone habitually thought in a different base (I can certainly
> make a good case for .1 being a half, a less good case for .8 and a
> plausible one for .6).

You can set the base explicitly using the operator "ju'u":

        vei pibi ju'u paxa [ve'o] prenu
        ( .8 base 16 ) persons

You can express rational numbers with the fraction-bar cmavo "fi'u", which is
a digit (not an operator):

        fi'uci prenu
        /3 persons

where the numerator defaults to 1.

--
John Cowan      cowan@snark.thyrsus.com         ...!uunet!lock60!snark!cowan
                        e'osai ko sarji la lojban.