Active Users:381 Time:26/04/2025 06:53:19 AM
That probably answers the positional notation aspect we'd been discussing on the other board Isaac Send a noteboard - 10/03/2013 04:12:32 AM

View original postIf, in the letters, one sees the digamma, which looks like an F (because it's the origin of the Latin letter F). It wasn't used in writing but it was used, solely and exclusively, to represent the number 6. Similarly, qoppa (which looked like a Q) represents only 90, and sanpi (which looked just weird) represented 900. If you add those three letters to the 24 letters of the Greek alphabet, you get 27, or 3 sets of 9s, which were used for 1-9, 10-90 and 100-900, respectively.


View original postOn a 20-sided die, if the letters represent numbers, you wouldn't get to qoppa or sanpi, but you would get digamma.

If I read you right, they wouldn't need the equivalent of 2 symbol identical 10 sided dice or 2 20's with repeats to generate an even distribution of random larger numbers, they could just have one die with their tens digit symbols and one with their singles. So if they wanted two D20's to generate 1-100 or 1-1000 they just have 2 copies of each of the appropriate symbols on a die and presumably two of whatever passed for the analogue to zero, blank spot maybe. Say, one die alpha through theta? 2 of each plus 2 blanks, then another 10-90 2 each and 2 blanks and 100-900 2 each and a pair of blanks if they wanted to go that high.

So this die Joel referenced, can't be numerical, because 20 unique symbols on a die wouldn't mean anything to them, it would be gibberish, the first 20 unique math symbols would generate equal odds of 1-9, 10,20,30...90, 100, 200 that wouldn't serve any obvious purpose so they wouldn't be numbers.

Assuming that makes sense? It is, haha, all Greek to me.



The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.
- Albert Einstein

King of Cairhien 20-7-2
Chancellor of the Landsraad, Archduke of Is'Mod
This message last edited by Isaac on 10/03/2013 at 04:39:55 AM
Reply to message
It's the Zany Popetastic Sede Vacante Supergame! - 07/03/2013 06:00:53 PM 1297 Views
I will try my hand at it. - 07/03/2013 06:04:08 PM 929 Views
Well... I think there is a fair chance that I'll score 0 points. - 07/03/2013 07:39:54 PM 898 Views
There's a fair chance any of us will score 0 points. - 07/03/2013 09:47:49 PM 902 Views
That's gonna an epic fail - 07/03/2013 08:09:16 PM 1093 Views
Paul David Hewson, 1 April, Pope Bono I - 07/03/2013 09:54:50 PM 944 Views
Take your fake answer elsewhere if you're not going to play seriously. *NM* - 07/03/2013 11:48:57 PM 561 Views
*is chastened* That was the only remotely possible answer I could come up with w/o research. *MN* - 08/03/2013 04:13:44 AM 994 Views
So go do the research! It can't take as long to perform as one of your standard diatribes... *NM* - 08/03/2013 09:29:57 PM 500 Views
Tomorrow; I am running on fumes and trying to tell Demotic from demotic at the moment. - 08/03/2013 10:03:52 PM 1034 Views
Demotic is a Greek term, so capitalizing it or not really doesn't change anything. - 09/03/2013 03:13:17 PM 977 Views
Ah, I did not realize the Greek term was reserved for modern Greek; thanks. - 09/03/2013 07:11:16 PM 1071 Views
Greek letters haven't changed in about 2800 years - 09/03/2013 09:05:30 PM 988 Views
So we do not know WTF numbers the die represents, if it does indeed represent numbers? - 09/03/2013 10:15:59 PM 898 Views
There is a simple way to figure out if they represent numbers. - 10/03/2013 03:33:10 AM 983 Views
That probably answers the positional notation aspect we'd been discussing on the other board - 10/03/2013 04:12:32 AM 989 Views
One would THINK so, yes.... - 11/03/2013 04:54:05 PM 1158 Views
Re: It's the Zany Popetastic Sede Vacante Supergame! - 08/03/2013 12:06:51 AM 985 Views
I'll go with Cardinal Turkson, Benedict XVII, March 22nd - 08/03/2013 12:10:32 AM 970 Views
Re: It's the Zany Popetastic Sede Vacante Supergame! - 08/03/2013 02:21:51 AM 1159 Views
Eh, why not? - 08/03/2013 02:26:37 AM 1128 Views
Hugo Chavez *NM* - 08/03/2013 09:46:22 AM 572 Views
Re: It's the Zany Popetastic Sede Vacante Supergame! - 08/03/2013 03:17:22 PM 861 Views
White Smoke *NM* - 13/03/2013 06:43:56 PM 515 Views
Congratulations! We have all tied with 0 points out of a possible 200. - 13/03/2013 07:27:24 PM 1080 Views
Victory - 13/03/2013 07:40:03 PM 997 Views
Or Lando. - 13/03/2013 08:56:11 PM 1261 Views
I am very particular about my Landos. *NM* - 13/03/2013 09:59:44 PM 554 Views
I was shocked it happened so soon. - 13/03/2013 07:46:08 PM 1004 Views
Us and most Vaticanists it appears - 13/03/2013 11:49:29 PM 1047 Views
Pope Suburban (the First) - 14/03/2013 02:09:44 AM 916 Views
I love that you guessed after it happened and still got it wrong - 14/03/2013 02:18:53 PM 910 Views
so sue me! - 16/03/2013 06:31:40 PM 1042 Views
I had the feeling it was going to be one of the Latin Americans - 14/03/2013 06:16:10 PM 877 Views

Reply to Message