better late than never

[Plane]

The metric system is not worse than the English (inches/feet/yards, pints/quarts/gallons, etc) system, regardless of whatever base your calculations are in. I have never had any use for doing math in anything other than base ten. It is useful for some purposes, I am sure, but most people can get by with just base ten.

You are hardly a typical Teasie. That would be Kramer.

   Electronics and Computing benefit from understanding Algebra and base two programmers benefit from calculations in base sixteen or eight.

     Spain figures large in the history of Algebra , Algebra is an Arabic innovation the reconquest of Spain in the 1400s brought key concepts into contact with European scolars.   The use of Zero and Arabic numerals lubricated nacent European science and helped charge up the rennasance.   

[Xavier_Onassis]

What we call Arabic numerals, however, did not originate with the Arabs. The Arabs got them from the East Indians.
The numerals can be drawn with the number of angles that the numbers represent. To wit:
zero, no angles 0
one, one angle
two, two angles,
and so on.
The cross some put through the 7 is done to provide 4 of the 7 angles.

Al gebra in Arabic translates The calculation.

[Plane]

   Arabic numerals are not diffrent numbers than roman numerals represent , but the clumsy system of  notation was a hamstring injury to European science.

     I didn't know that Arabs found this from further east but they still were the conduit for this knoledge to Europe where it was sorely needed.

     I understand that Astecs used a base twenty number system , I wonder if that had any advantages?

[Xavier_Onassis]

NO one believes that the English system of measurements is better than the Metric System for non-base 10 numbers, do they?

[Plane]

NO one believes that the English system of measurements is better than the Metric System for non-base 10 numbers, do they?

    Better at what?

    For easy conversion between orders of magnitude Metric is champion.

 

[kimba1]

it`s not a matter of what`s better than simply how to adopt  it. I said it before americans would be learning a new measurement,but learning to convert the existing system to metric. notice europeans only have one system not two like america would have if metrics tookhold

[Amianthus]

NO one believes that the English system of measurements is better than the Metric System for non-base 10 numbers, do they?

An example:

The English system of 12 inches to the foot makes it easier to do division by 2, 3, 4, or 6 than the Metric system. These types of division are common in, among other professions, construction. Also, working with fractions, which is common in the English system but uncommon in the Metric (which tends to use decimal portions), is very useful in a number of "blue collar" occupations.

That's not to say these jobs cannot be done in either system, but some tasks *can* be easier in the English system. I have equal facility with both, and use whichever is more convenient, converting in my head when needed. I also commonly do math in different bases, converting between them, I use algebra and set theory on a daily basis at work (and calculus occasionally), etc.

[Xavier_Onassis]

notice europeans only have one system not two like america would have if metrics tookhold

=======================
They have only one system NOW. The Metric system arrived with Napoleon. Before that every country had its own system. China also was non-metric. I think that the Japanese invasion and Mao were the ones who changed it to metric.

There is always a transitional period. England, Canada, Australia and other Dominion countries managed to make the change rather well.