How Do Addition and Multiplication Tables Work in Base -5?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion explores the structure and characteristics of addition and multiplication tables in base -5, including the implications of using negative bases in general. Participants express curiosity about how these tables would appear and the role of negative signs in such systems.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Technical explanation, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents initial addition and multiplication tables for base -5 but questions the absence of negative signs.
  • Another participant shares links to resources explaining negative bases, noting that no sign is necessary as positive and negative numbers can be distinguished by their digit count.
  • A different participant expresses skepticism about the practical use of negative bases, suggesting that most people believe they are not commonly utilized.
  • A post references a literary example from "Alice in Wonderland" to illustrate a point about multiplication tables, though its relevance to the main topic is unclear.
  • Another participant provides additional resources on 'negabinary' and 'negadecimal', indicating that negative bases may be avoided due to their complexity.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the utility or complexity of negative bases, with some expressing curiosity and others skepticism about their practical applications.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the representation of negative numbers in addition and multiplication tables for base -5, as well as the broader implications of using negative bases.

1+1=1
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i am curious as to how this would look. i wonder how the addition tables would look in base -5? would the multiplication look the same?

here is what i know so far:

addition multiplication
0 1 2 3 4 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 10 0 1 2 3 4
2 3 4 10 11 0 2 4 11 13
3 4 10 11 12 0 3 11 14 22
4 10 11 12 13 0 4 13 22 31

i know this, but where are the negative signs at??
 
Last edited:
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Negative bases

Interesting concept, here's some links to info on negative bases:
http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/55710.html
http://www.maa.org/devlin/devlinfeb.html
One thing the articles point out is that no sign is necessary,
instead negative and positive numbers differ in their number
of digits.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
these negative bases are quite interesting, although are they reallly used all that much? i know that everyone I've talked to is basically saying "no." however, almost anyone could make up their own number system, but no one else could understand it.
 
In Alice in Wonderland, when Alice has fallen down the rabbit hole, she wonders if she's swapped places with someone called Mabel. To discover her true identity, she recites the 4 times table:

"But if I'm not the same, the next question is, 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!... and I'm sure I can't be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a very little!... I'll try all the things I used to know. Let me see: four times five is twelve, and four times six is thirteen, and four times seven is -- oh dear! I shall never get to twenty at that rate!"

Figure out why this is true !
 
this definitely has something to do with numbers that are NOT base 10. other than that, i'll have to sleep on it. :wink:
 

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