number system
- noun
- /ˈnʌmbər ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
- A binary number system uses only two digits, 0 and 1, to represent all values.
- base-ten number system
- using the number system
Today we're doing the oldest number system in the world, Babylonian cuneiform numbers.
- Today we're doing the oldest number system in the world, Babylonian cuneiform numbers.
- But anyway, so you'll see all of our literature, and these are number systems and alphabets have our SFI font glyph.
Examples
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The ability to simultaneously think of ten as a unit and as being composed of 10 individual items forms the foundation for the base-ten number system, which is much more complex than places on a number chart.
Academic text (2014) -
The number system includes all numbers in a range from 0 to infinity.
Blog text (9) -
I tell them that there are number systems limited to: nothing, 1, 2, 3, many.
Blog text (9) -
Numbers are the elements of the number system you want to use.
Blog text (9) -
But it's still a number system, and in fact, a very useful one.
Blog text (9) -
The major accomplishment that set them apart from all previous number systems was the inclusion of the concept of zero.
Blog text (32) -
For example, the fraction 1/10 can be represented in a decimal number system as 0.1.
Blog text (6) -
In mathematics, the decimal number system is the most commonly used system.
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Understanding how to convert between different number systems is essential for computer science.
Synonyms
A way of counting and naming numbers
A way of writing numbers using symbols and rules like decimal or binary
A way to write or show amounts using symbols like digits
A way of writing numbers using digits like decimal or binary
A way of writing numbers where each digit's value depends on its place
A number system where each digit's value depends on its place
How Complex
- Specialized
- Specialized
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a system or notation for representing numbers' is directly and compositionally derived from 'number' (numerical value) + 'system' (a structured set of rules), so a learner who knows both words can infer the phrase. This noun-noun compound follows a common, cross-linguistically transparent pattern (e.g. Spanish 'sistema de numeración'), making it readily understandable at B1.
Etymology
Number system comes from the simple idea of combining number, meaning 'a count', and system, meaning 'a set of rules', when people used marks, pebbles or fingers to show amounts. So number system now means 'a way or set of rules for writing and working with numbers'.