What Base 12 Means

Algebra books seem to believe that base 12 is a good idea for humans to use. This is only in the case of that pianist in GATTACA that has 12 fingers. We have a base 10 system because we have 10 fingers. (This is why you’re allowed to count and do arithmetic on your hands.)

Regardless of the general uselessness of a base 12 system, working with it is a good exercise in patience, alternate thinking and puzzle solving.

Here’s how to “count” in base 12:

But what if you want to get higher than you can count? For instance, what if some algebra book asks, “What’s after EE0₁₂?”

Now check out how to switch a base 10 number (which is our way) into a base 12 number:

Want more? Check out how to add and multiply in the next post.

Thanks to Kellie for the inspiration for this post.