Bi-quinary coded decimal: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 12:03, 4 August 2020

Revision as of 09:53, 29 September 2020

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[[File:Code Biquinaer.svg|thumb|right|One possible binary representation of biquinary code]]

[[File:Code Biquinaer reflektiert.svg|thumb|Reflected biquinary code]]

'''Bi-quinary coded decimal''' is a [[numeral system|numeral encoding scheme]] used in many [[abacus]]es and in some early computers, including the [[Colossus computer|Colossus]].<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thrx3SBEpL8&list=WL&index=17&t=0s</ref>. The term '''''bi-quinary''''' indicates that the code comprises both a two-state (''bi'') and a five-state (''quin''ary) component. The encoding resembles that used by many abacuses, with four beads indicating either 0 through 4 or 5 through 9 and another bead indicating which of those ranges.

Several human languages, most notably [[Khmer numerals|Khmer]] and [[Wolof language|Wolof]], also use biquinary systems. For example, the Khmer word for 6, ''pram muoy'', literally means ''five [plus] one''. The numerals from 0 to 9 in [[Japanese Sign Language]] is based on bi-quinary, with the thumb acting as 5 units, and the rest of the fingers each standing for 1 unit. [[Roman numerals]] use a symbolic, rather than positional, bi-quinary base, even though [[Latin]] is completely decimal.