Guild Wars 2

Does it use a base 8 system? Or a base 6? I mean they have 8 fingers but 6 toes so I’m confused.

Yeah I have too much time on my hands for this.

The College of Statics uses base 10. Then build on that base 10 to a base 100 in order to make sure that base ten is still constant. then proceed to work from the second base 10.

The College of Dynamics uses an inverse base 10. They start with 10 as we would a zero. they break it down and subtract as we would use groups of ten to add. This spontaniously provides arithmetic problems to answers that no one else persieves.

The College of Synergetics uses a metiphysical cybernetic ideology to create an abstract base. Their numerical system focuses less on a mathematical equation always having the same outcome and more on the pattern of the myriad of answers each individual equation can have.

The Theory of EveryCollege or Eternal Alchemy links all college bases together into one unifying workable equation that no one quite has a grasp on.

(I don’t think people have ever counted on their toes.) I’m guessing they use octal system, but I have nothing to base it on. I’d also assume they use binary for their golems and computers.

They use whichever base is appropriate for a given system.

I’d say a modified base 8 system.

Fingers would count to 8, toes would be used for counting how many 8’s you have.
48 would be the equivalent of 100.

it’s base 10

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m68x4vj0or1r7qbrco1_1280.png

Most of their “language” is simple letter substitution. The numbers, which are hard to see at this scale, are made up of multiple angled lines indicating the number (ie. 1 is a single strike through, 2 is a double slash, 3 is 3 lines arranged around a central point etc) . The largest number we’ve seen in that list is 9, which means we’re looking at a minimum of base 10

Obviously it’s just artistic license the substitution system, but the true nature of their language and mathematics is forever hidden :p

How is it possible for a race that doesn’t have 10 anything to have a base 10 system?

I mean the only reason humans have that is because we had 10 digits on our hands and feet. If we had 8, we’d be using a base 8 system.

And I don’t even want to get into their computer programming. You can have binary easy, but then on top of that you can put hexadecimal, and on top of that your typical programming language, and on top of that you have your basic programs that come together to make an operating system. That is a whole other field I do not want to even think about. I’m struggling with C++ as it is.

What am i reading

Uhh.. We’re reading advanced mathematics and the numerical system of counting used by asura. I have to ask, Dustfinger, how and where did you learn of that? Is it theorycrafting or backed by arena net?

It sounds more like an attempt at a joke, based on Asuran ideologies. Sort of like the “The optimist sees the glass as half full. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The engineer sees twice as much glass as necessary.” etc.

The link from Ryuujin’s post a few up is probably Asuran after they came to the surface and were influenced by the other languages; the wiki article ‘Cultural Diffusion in Contemporary Kryta’ discusses how language in Tyria has changed along the way.

Personally, I like the octal system… and just disregard the toes.

The earlyest human numeral system isn’t base 10 (decimal), it’s base 60 used by early mesopotamians (3400 bc).

Mayans (and other meso-american) used base 20 (vigesimal), or to better say base 4 + base 5 (or something like that… Also read they didn’t have signs for every number, like the romans).

Who says the asuran doesn’t evolved with a base 10 system, like the others? Just out of chance. ^^

@ Lady grey: Venthus is right. I just took the basic ideoligies of each college and ran with it :P

There is that Asuran karma heart that involves doing simple math in base-10, but presumably that’s just for us idiot humans to feel good about ourselves. (Read: gameplay decision, unrelated to lore.)

I find it hard to believe an Asuran computer needs us to verify the area of a rectangle…

FlashbackJon.9627:

I find it hard to believe an Asuran computer needs us to verify the area of a rectangle…

And yet someone was still complaining in map chat that it was “dumb they had us doing difficult maths questions”… anyone’d thought it was vector calculus. (“If a trebuchet is built on OL keep, with a 2 m s^-1 easterly wind blowing, and the projectile is fired at 45 degrees. What direction and how much launch velocity does the treb need to fire at to hit SM keep’s Northern wall?”)

I acknowledge your amendment but maintain that the required math is best described as “rudimentary” regardless of the level of acumen displayed by fellow players in map chat.

It could be just busywork by the krewe leader to repeatedly have the computer throw up stupid errors just to keep them from destroying the lab in off-time tinkering.

Not a bad idea really; give them something stupid to do while you get to the serious work of blowing up the world (through an accidental failure… or opening a portal to the wrong place…).

In the Destiny’s Edge book, Snaff and Zojja make a reference to using base 12 math, and that other races are stupid for resorting to counting on their fingers.

I know some humans used to use base 12 (count the segments in your fingers with your thumb)
With 3 fingers and a thumb you’d be able to count to 12 with your other hand so i think Asura could have done it on their fingers at some point :p

FlashbackJon.9627:

I find it hard to believe an Asuran computer needs us to verify the area of a rectangle…

i was thinking about this the other day and remembered that actually in real life there are some situations where computers need an engineer to verify the numbers

Most notable example being airline fuel tanks; in one case a flight engineer who couldn’t work in metric under-calculated the fuel load, but told the flight computer it was loaded with the correct amount, resulting in one of the world’s biggest gliders xD

(Thankfully the pilot had mad skillz and landed the plane without any serious injuries)

MisterGumby.8924:

How is it possible for a race that doesn’t have 10 anything to have a base 10 system?

I mean the only reason humans have that is because we had 10 digits on our hands and feet. If we had 8, we’d be using a base 8 system.

Not necessarily. The Egyptians used Base 12, despite a lack of 12 anything (unless it was 12 of something internal that they knew about from pulling bits out of dudes while making them mummies).

There is so many ways of counting…
Maya used a base 20 system(counting with fingers and toes)

Base 12: Finger segments. Each hand has 14 of them, exclude the thumb, which is used to count and you are set :P

Base 16: possible with 2 hands, using the thumb to count fingers and the spaces between them.

Base 10: Lame cause stupid and inefficient… Counting up to 10 and there is the end of it :P

Base 60: Yes! Base 60! Just sayin Babylon, nuff said.

Base 2: Best system.