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Representation and Technology
How poor representation impedes technology.
| CXXXVI + CCCXLII = CDVXXIIX |
136 + 342 = 478 |
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non-uniform representation varies with size hard to calculate high technology impossible |
uniform representation handles all numbers the same easy to calculate good for high technology |
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Imagine basing modern technology on Roman numerals! Obviously, this
would be a fatal handicap.
Obvious to us, but not obvious to the
ancient Romans, who were accustomed to their awkward notation.
Could we make a similar mistake, and know it no more than the Romans did ? We do with computers.
