What is Decimal 8 Math and Why is it Considered the Hardest?

  • Thread starter The_Z_Factor
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In summary, the conversation was about a year ago when the person's cousin mentioned a type of math that he believed was the most complicated. He referred to it as "decimal 8 math", which is actually the octal number system. The person asking the question was unsure about what exactly this type of math is and what it is used for. Octal is used in computer programming, specifically in UNIX to set permissions. However, the person's cousin may have been joking about it being the hardest math.
  • #1
The_Z_Factor
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Hi everybody, I want to ask about this, and I am not exactly sure what 'type' of math this is, so I put it under general math..sorry if its not the correct place for it.

Anyways, about a year ago my cousin who went to Georgia Tech, was talking to me about math. I asked him what he thought the most complicated math was, and he says, "Well I think decimal 8 math is the hardest". I asked him what it was and he told me that its a number system or a way of doing math using decimals of 8 instead of 10 like our normal number system. He never took the class, he just said its harder than calculus.

So, what is this math? And what is it used for?
 
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  • #2
Did he mean base-8? Decimal itself implies base-10 you can't have decimal 8 I don't think.
 
  • #3
Feldoh said:
Did he mean base-8? Decimal itself implies base-10 you can't have decimal 8 I don't think.

That must have been what he said then. It was at least a year ago so I don't exactly remember, but I do remember him mentioning that all the problems are based on decimals of 8 instead of 10. He might have said decimal to make it easier for me to understand, being that I most likely had no clue what he would have meant had he said "base". Thanks for correcting me though.
 
  • #4
It sounds like he's talking about the octal number system, but there's nothing remotely hard about that. Octal represents numbers in powers of 8.

You may have heard about hexadecimal, which represents numbers in powers of 16. Hexadecimal is useful because it provides a concise way to talk about binary numbers, as it's easy to write down a hexadecimal number by just taking the binary number 4 bits at a time:

101101101111 binary is

B6F hexadecimal.

Octal is also useful, because you can take the bits three at a time:

101101101111 binary is

5557 octal

Octal numbers are used in UNIX to set permissions with chmod, since each group might have read, write, or execute permissions (i.e., 3 bits).
 
  • #5
He was at Georgia Tech and said he thought "base 8" was the hardest math? He was putting you on!
 

1. What is decimal 8 math?

Decimal 8 math refers to a mathematical system based on the number 8 as its base. This means that there are 8 digits in this system, ranging from 0 to 7. It is also known as octal math.

2. How is decimal 8 math different from decimal 10 math?

The main difference between decimal 8 math and decimal 10 math is the base number used. Decimal 10 math, also known as the decimal system, is based on the number 10, with 10 digits ranging from 0 to 9. In contrast, decimal 8 math has 8 digits ranging from 0 to 7.

3. What are some practical applications of decimal 8 math?

Decimal 8 math is commonly used in computer programming and digital electronics. It is also useful for representing binary numbers in a more compact form, as each octal digit can represent three binary digits. Additionally, it can be used in some mathematical calculations, particularly those involving powers of 8.

4. How do you convert decimal 8 to decimal 10?

To convert a number in decimal 8 to decimal 10, you can use the following formula: (8^2 x A) + (8^1 x B) + (8^0 x C), where A, B, and C are the respective digits in the octal number. For example, to convert the octal number 46 to decimal 10, the formula would be: (8^1 x 4) + (8^0 x 6) = 32 + 6 = 38.

5. Is decimal 8 math commonly used in everyday life?

No, decimal 8 math is not commonly used in everyday life. It is mostly used in specialized fields such as computer science and digital electronics. However, understanding the basics of octal math can be helpful in understanding other number systems and improving overall mathematical skills.

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