Re: [HM] base 5

Boaz Tsaban (tsaban@macs.biu.ac.il)
Tue, 13 Apr 1999 21:15:49 +0300 (IDT)

Speaking about bases, the Jews are experiencing counting at
base 7 these days. This is called "Sefirat Ha-Omer" which
is a counting of 49 days (7 weeks) between [the first day of]
Passover and "Shavu'ot"(=weeks!) holidays.
For example, this evening counted
"Today is 13 days for the Omer, which are one week and six days".

This tradition begun at the Exodus from Egyptd, more than 3,300
years ago.

I cannot help telling the following anecdote: a few years ago,
attending an evening prayer at the university, a distinguished
Professor of Mathematics was honoured to count loudly
(there is always one of the prayers who counts loudly, and the
others repeat).
Now, he counted the total(=base 10) number, and then -- silence.
It took him a few _long_ seconds to transfer the number to base 7...

Boaz

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Boaz Tsaban
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Department of Mathematics, Bar Ilan University, 52900 Ramat-Gan, ISRAEL
Tel: (972-3) 5318407 Fax: (972-3) 535-3325 E-mail: tsaban@macs.biu.ac.il
Home page: http://www.cs.biu.ac.il:8080/~tsaban/
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