Number Systems I

To me numbers are just some entity that need to be represented. The way we chose to represent them is in base 10 also known as decimal number system, Where we have 10 symbols 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 and we use them to represent any number we want to represent.

Eg: number twelve is represented as (1*10 + 2) or 12
and number hundred and twenty three is represented as (100*1 + 10*2 + 3) or 123

Similarly negative numbers can be represented.

Now the first question is "Why use 10 as the base to represent numbers?"
The answer is fairly simple, we have 10 fingers. If we had only 6 fingers we could have had a base 6 number system too.

And we would have counted as 0,1,2,3,4,5,10,11,12,13,14,15,20 and so on.


The next question is "Why do we use 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 and 9 to represent numbers"
The answer is just because we can. Yes there is no reason to say 1 should represent one and so on. It could have been any symbol for that matter.

Lets say 'A' represents that '0' as we know it
Lets say 'B' represents that '1' as we know it
Lets say 'C' represents that '2' as we know it
Lets say 'D' represents that '3' as we know it
Lets say 'E' represents that '4' as we know it
Lets say 'F' represents that '5' as we know it
Lets say 'G' represents that '6' as we know it
Lets say 'H' represents that '7' as we know it
Lets say 'I' represents that '8' as we know it
Lets say 'J' represents that '9' as we know it

and we use a base BA (10) number system then the number 123 would be BCD.

Confusing, yes a little but not so much if you know how number systems work.


Enough to ponder about in this post. I am going to cover more topics like :

* Negative base number systems.
* How to represent any number in any base number system (except 0 base number system)

Back after a long time

I am back after quite some time.
I was very busy over the last two months.

* Been to Ladakh, Delhi (twice) and Chennai.
* Released a product.
* Got hooked onto Flickr. (http://www.flickr.com)

and many more things, which will reveal themselves over time.


I made it to the explore page of flickr with this amazing picture that I took at Pangong lake in Ladakh:



Hope you enjoy it.. I hope to find some time for blogging again.

I like to Moo

Video: crazzee cow

Been there done that

Displaying the states I have been to in India (marked in yellow).

Thanks Sumeet! Get your own map at here

Temporary disposable email ids

Do you hate it when you give out your personal email id to signup for some site and then receive tons of spam mail :(
If yes here is a site which will help you get rid of spam.

How does it do it?
Easy. It assigns you a new email id every time you visit. As long as you are on the site it also keeps displaying the emails you receive on your temporary id. So that you can finish your signing up responsibilities. To check the email later you could go to the address http://www.mintemail.com/USERNAME

replace USERNAME with the temporary name that the site had given you.

Try sending an email to joshua896@mintemail.com and then check the mail out at http://www.mintemail.com/joshua896

The only issue is that I could not find a way of deleting the mail, because there are enough lame sites out their which send you password with the confirmation mail. Really sad if someone knows your temp id and is able to login to the site you have registered to.

So here is a thumb rule, For any site that you will use very often use your original email id and for any site that you do not plan to use more than one or two times use the temp email id (Also do not use your regular password for the site, to be on the safer side)

Camera shipped from Mars

CASIO EX-Z75SR Silver 7.2 MP Digital Camera 1/2.5" CCD 2.6" 115K LCD 3X Optical Zoom 4X Digital Zoom - Retail


is being sold of newegg.com for $189.99

Not bad eh..

Wait till you see how much it costs to ship it.

"3 Business Day Shipping $99,999.00"



Where are they shipping it from? Mars?

Or are they teleporting it to my place?

Funny Dilbert comic strip

Source : www.dilbert.com