Why did the decimal number system originate? Detailed answer

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Why did the decimal number system originate? Detailed answer

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Why did the decimal number system originate?

The decimal number system we use arose due to the fact that a person has 10 fingers on his hands. The ability for abstract counting did not appear immediately in people, and it turned out to be most convenient to use fingers for counting. The Mayan civilization, and independently of them, the Chukchi historically used the decimal number system, using not only the fingers, but also the toes. The basis of the duodecimal and sexagesimal systems common in ancient Sumer and Babylon was also the use of hands: the phalanges of other fingers of the palm, the number of which is 12, were counted with the thumb.

Authors: Jimmy Wales, Larry Sanger

Random interesting fact from the Great Encyclopedia:

How do archaeologists know what they find?

An archaeologist digs up things buried by ancient people. The question is, how can he imagine cities, people and objects as they were, recreate a past life from what he found? The thing is, he can't always do this, because he doesn't always find exactly the things he needs to create a complete picture of people's lives in the past.

In the end, all he finds is just what the ancestors left behind, usually items that were used every day. These can be the remains of houses, tools, jewelry, dishes, toys, as well as the bones of eaten animals. But many of the things that were important to the lives of primitive people cannot be found. Items made from leather, wood, cotton, wool, and straw usually break down quickly and leave no traces. Another mystery for archaeologists is the clothing of ancient people. An archaeologist can tell if they used cloth or animal skins, but if they left no images of themselves, he can say little about their clothing.

The archaeologist also has no answer to the question of whether the ancient people had an artistic taste, and he knows practically nothing about their thoughts and ideas. Therefore, his picture of the life of the first people may be very incomplete. But despite this, the archaeologist can tell us a lot. First, he determines the order in which the cities were built - one on the ruins of another. Then he must know the city where the item was found. A tag is attached to each item, it is photographed, measured, etc. If the archaeological site belongs to historical times, he must know the ancient writing of the area.

Many experts help archaeologists: geologists, botanists, zoologists and others, that is, all those who help him identify and analyze the found material. Sometimes it takes an archaeologist years of work and scientific research before he can publish a work about his findings. But if he succeeds, a delightful picture of the past can unfold before us - a picture of the life of ancient peoples.

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Microcontrollers STM32 Value Line 31.05.2010

STMicroelectronics, one of the leading manufacturers of microcontrollers in the world, announced the start of production of a new 32-bit low-cost microcontroller that takes advantage of the industrial STM32 core and is designed for low-cost applications.

Microcontrollers of the STM32F100 ("Value line") family are intended for applications where the power of a 16-bit microcontroller is already insufficient, and the rich set of functionality of conventional 32-bit microcontrollers is redundant. The STM32F100 microcontroller line is based on a modern 24 MHz ARM Cortex-M3 core with peripherals optimized for use in typical applications where 16-bit microcontrollers were used.

The performance of this line at 24 MHz, coupled with zero latency access to the built-in flash memory, is 30 DMIPS, which is superior to most 16-bit microcontrollers. The line includes the following peripherals - up to 12 16-bit timers with advanced functions, high-speed 12-bit ADCs and DACs, CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) protocol included in the HDMI standard.

STM32F100 is not only a cheap and optimized Cortex-M3 microcontroller, but also access to a rich development environment for STM32 family microcontrollers, which includes free libraries for all peripherals, motor control and touch keyboards.

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