Bibi-binary: Difference between revisions

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{{Short description|Hexadecimal number system}}

[[Image:Table de correspondance entre le Bibinaire et les autres notations.svg|520px|thumb|right|Note: each Bibi digit is formed from a square arranging the 1-bits in its binary representation. If only a single bit is 1 a vertical line runs through the centre and ends in that bit's corner; otherwise it relies on the order of the positions of the 1-bits. When there are exactly two 1-bits, the line passes round the centre. The forms are rounded when there are less than three 1-bits, and use sharp corners when three or four of the bits are 1.]]The '''Bibi-binary''' system for numeric notation (in French '''système Bibi-binaire''', or abbreviated "'''système Bibi'''") was first described in 1968<ref>Brevet d'invention n° 1.569.028, ''Procédé de codification de l'information'', Robert Jean Lapointe, demandé le 28 mars 1968, délivré le 21 avril 1969. [http://bases-brevets.inpi.fr/fr/document/FR1569028/publications.html Downloaded] from [[Institut national de la propriété industrielle|INPI]].</ref> by singer/mathematician [[Boby Lapointe|Robert "Boby" Lapointe]] (1922-1972), based on the concept of [[hexadecimal]] notation. At the time, it attracted the attention of [[André Lichnerowicz]], then engaged in studies at the [[University of Lyon]]. It found some use in a variety of unforeseen applications: stochastic poetry, stochastic art, colour classification, aleatory music, architectural symbolism, etc.{{ref?}}

[[Image:Table de correspondance entre le Bibinaire et les autres notations.svg|520px|thumb|right|Each Bibi digit is formed from a square arranging the 1-bits in its binary representation. If only a single bit is 1 a vertical line runs through the centre and ends in that bit's corner; otherwise it relies on the order of the positions of the 1-bits. When there are exactly two 1-bits, the line passes round the centre. The forms are rounded when there are less than three 1-bits, and use sharp corners when three or four of the bits are 1.]]

[[Image:Table de correspondance entre le Bibinaire et les autres notations.svg|520px|thumb|right|Note: each Bibi digit is formed from a square arranging the 1-bits in its binary representation. If only a single bit is 1 a vertical line runs through the centre and ends in that bit's corner; otherwise it relies on the order of the positions of the 1-bits. When there are exactly two 1-bits, the line passes round the centre. The forms are rounded when there are less than three 1-bits, and use sharp corners when three or four of the bits are 1.]]The '''Bibi-binary''' system for numeric notation (in French '''{{langx|fr|système Bibi-binaire'''}}, or abbreviated "'''{{lang|fr|système Bibi}}'''") wasis a [[hexadecimal]] numeral system first described in 1968<ref>Brevet d'invention n° 1.569.028, ''Procédé de codification de l'information'', Robert Jean Lapointe, demandé le 28 mars 1968, délivré le 21 avril 1969. [http://bases-brevets.inpi.fr/fr/document/FR1569028/publications.html Downloaded] from [[Institut national de la propriété industrielle|INPI]].</ref> by singer/mathematician [[Boby Lapointe|Robert "Boby" Lapointe]] (1922-19721922–1972), based on the concept of [[hexadecimal]] notation. At the time, it attracted the attention of [[André Lichnerowicz]], then engaged in studies at the [[University of Lyon]]. It found some use in a variety of unforeseen applications: stochastic poetry, stochastic art, colour classification, aleatory music, architectural symbolism, etc.{{ref?}}

The notational system directly and logically encodes the binary representations of the digits in a hexadecimal (base sixteen) number. In place of the arabic numerals 0-9 and letters A-F currently used in writing hexadecimal numbers, it presents sixteen newly-devised symbols (thus evading any risk of confusion with the decimal system). The graphical and phonetic conception of these symbols is meant to render the use of the Bibi-binary "language" simple and fast.

The notational system directly and logically encodes the binary representations of the digits in a hexadecimal (base sixteen) numbernumeral. In place of the arabicArabic numerals 0-90–9 and letters A-FA–F currently used in writing hexadecimal numbersnumerals, it presents sixteen newly- devised symbols (thus evading any risk of confusion with the decimal system). The graphical and phonetic conception of these symbols is meant to render the use of the Bibi-binary "language" simple and fast.

The description of the language first appeared in ''Les Cerveaux non-humains'' ("Non-human brains"),<ref>Jean-Marc Font, Jean-Claude Quiniou, Gérard Verroust, ''Les Cerveaux non-humains : introduction à l'Informatique'', Denoël, Paris, 1970.</ref> and the system can also be found in ''Boby Lapointe'' by Huguette Long Lapointe.<ref>Huguette Long Lapointe, ''Boby Lapointe'', Encre, Paris, 1980 {{ISBN|2-86418-148-7}}</ref>

== Why ''Bibi''Name ==

The central observation driving this system is that sixteen can be written as 2 to the power of 2, to the power of 2. As we use the term [[binary number|binary]] for numbers written in base two, Lapointe reasoned that one could also say "bi-binary" for base four, and thus "bibi-binary" for base 16. Its name may also be a pun,{{ref?}} as the word ''bibi'' in French is slang for "me" or "myself";<ref>{{citation|url=https://madd-bordeaux.fr/sites/BOR-MADD-DRUPAL/files/2020-12/documents/Livret%20anglais_IMPRESSION.pdf|title=Bibi-binaire code|work=Phenomena: Design lifts the veil on the invisible technologies of everyday life|type=Guide booklet|pages=8–9|publisher=Musée des arts décoratifs et du design, Bordeaux|date=November 2018 – March 2019}}</ref> various forms of word play were at the centre of Lapointe's artistic œuvre.

== Pronunciation ==

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In addition to unique graphical representations, Lapointe also devised a pronunciation for each of the sixteen digits. Using four consonants (HBKD) and four vowels (OAEI), one obtains sixteen combinations:

HO, HA, HE, HI, BO, BA, BE, BI, KO, KA, KE, KI, DO, DA, DE, DI.

To express any number, it suffices to enumerate the (hexadecimal) digits that make it up. For example: the number written as "2000" in base tendecimal, which translates to "7D0" in conventionally-written hexadecimal, would in Bibi-binary be spoken aloud as "BIDAHO".

== Negative numbersReferences ==

{{reflist|30em}}

Contrary to the numeric conventions used in modern computers, the bibi-binary system represents negative numbers using [[one's complement]],{{ref?}} rather than [[two's complement]]. Thus:

* +7 is written 0 0111

* −7 is written 1 1000

and their sum is written as "1 1111" (one of two representations of zero in this system; zero can also be written as "0 0000").

On modern machines, in classic binary notation, −7 would be written 1 1001, and the sum of −7 and 7 would give "0 0000"; this "two's complement" system thus needs only a single representation for the number zero.

== External links ==

* [http://www.graner.net/nicolas/nombres/bibibinaire.php Conversion en ligne décimal ↔ bibi-binaire] (in French)

== References ==

<references />

[[Category:Hexadecimal numeral system]]