Is there a numeral system in which numbers can have negative values? If so, what could be the base? For example (from the head), $34$ represent as $-1, 4, -1$ (read from left to right)
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1What is a numeral system and how does your example work? – John Douma Apr 21 '21 at 17:03
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I came up with such an example to illustrate, but in real life it does not exist. I mean, for example, that $34$ is represented in the numeral system in base $a$, it is written using negative numbers. What values can the number $a$ take? – he11boy Apr 21 '21 at 17:09
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You may be interested in Balanced ternary number system and its generalization. – Somos Apr 21 '21 at 17:11
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1This question that appeared earlier today seems similar. – lulu Apr 21 '21 at 17:20
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In the lovely classic Mathematics Made Difficult (published in 1971), Carl E. Linderholm notes (on page 63) that we could easily do base-ten arithmetic with the digits $\overline{4},\overline{3},\overline{2},\overline{1},0,1,2,3,4$, and $5$. (Linderhold actually uses upside down $n$'s instead of overlines, but I can't figure out how to TeX that; if someone would like to show me how, I'll gladly change things.) Thus, for example,
$$2\overline{4}5=2\cdot100-4\cdot10+5$$
is a new way of writing $165$, while
$$\overline{1}\overline{2}\overline{3}=-1\cdot100-2\cdot10-3$$
is the new $-123$, so the negative sign itself need never appear. To my knowledge, this system has never quite caught on.
Barry Cipra
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