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Date: Tue, 02 Oct 2001 17:24:58 +0100
To: thinkit8 <thinkit8@lycos.com>, lojban <lojban@yahoogroups.com>
Subject: bases [was: Re: [lojban] Re:HEX advert... (Don't know what it was)
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From: And Rosta <arosta@uclan.ac.uk>
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>>> <thinkit8@lycos.com> 10/02/01 03:16pm >>>
#lojban by default is hexadecimal.  there may be notes in the refgram=20
#to the contrary, but they are in error.  the presence of 16 digits=20
#clearly indicates hexadecimal.  feel free to assume decimal and risk=20
#being misunderstood...why is it so hard just to use "ju'u dau"?

The extra digits are there for people who want to use base 16 or
base 12, but that shouldn't force everybody to read bare "pa no"
as meaning "sixteen", and nor should it bar people who want to=20
say "ten" from saying "pa no", and so on.

The default specifies how, in the absence of other contextual
clues, you interpret "pa no no" (etc etc). Since there is no
overwhelming logical or rational candidate default, the decimal
default is chosen on utilitarian principles (greatest good for the
greatest number).

I could point out, btw, that by your reasoning it could be argued that
English is default base 13, given that digits 1-12 are noncompositional.

(BTW, I favour duodecimal for cardinal numbers & sexagesimal for
fractions.)

--And.