From: lendonc@cognos.com (Cleve Lendon 3821)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.esperanto
Subject: Reform
Date: 22 Aug 92 18:44:14 GMT
Distribution: inet
Organization: The Internet


Certain experts have expressed the opinion that Esperanto is a hindrance 
to the establishment of an international auxiliary language, because of 
its many peculiarities.

This may be so, but there is a greater and more immediate hindrance to 
international communication which must be dealt with quickly if we ever want 
to make any progress. I am writing, of course, about the Arabic numerals.

I for one feel the Arabic numerals are so flawed, that unless their promoters 
concede that they need fixing, and accept the fixes, there will never be an 
international number system.

I urge those of you who are interested in counting to save a copy of this 
essay on your personal computers, as it seems quite likely that (ahem!) 
certain factions will try to suppress it and you are not likely to see it on 
the net again.
 
 
The Major Defects of the Arabic Numerals
==============================
 
Introduction

Since the dark ages, Arabic numerals have been promoted by a clique of tax 
collectors, mathematicians, engineers and other riff-raff. These close-knit 
groups are extremely reluctant to admit that anything is wrong.  The Arabic
numerals contain some serious design flaws which I will enumerate below.

Some mathematicians say that anyone who criticizes the Arabic numerals just 
doesn't know enough about them.  They try to deflect valid criticism 
by saying that outsiders often criticize such-and-such a numeral, but others
think the same numeral is just wonderful.  That is not true.  In fact, many 
people want to reform the numerals in various ways, and there are 
many counting enthusiasts who have turned to other numerals.  Before the more 
fanatical elements of the Arabic Numeral Conspiracy attempt to divert attention 
from my valid criticisms by accusing me of negativism or non-objectivity, I 
want to make it clear that I am not writing from a position of ignorance or 
malice. I know how to count and I can prove it!

1 2 Buckle my shoe,
3 4 Shut the door,
5 6 Pick up sticks,
7 8 Lay them straight,
9 10 The big fat hen...

etc.
  
In this light, let's examine some specific aspects of the Arabic numerals.
 
 
0 This numeral has a shape and size identical to the 14th letter of the 
  Roman alphabet. Or is it the 15th? Well anyway, it looks like a big O (as 
  in the word "Ohio"). This ambiguity has caused immeasurable grief to
  programmers, who spend hours in front of a terminal, trying to figure 
  out why a program they've written doesn't work. After much frustration,
  they discover that (c == 'O') should have been (c == '0'). 
  
  Some of the results of this unheathly situation are headaches, myopia, and 
  in more severe cases, sarcasm.
 
1 Another ambiguous numeral. Is it an el or a one? The way Europeans draw it,
  it looks like a 7. For this reason alone, the Arabic numerals should be
  abandoned.

3 This bizarre symbol looks like nothing I've ever seen elsewhere. Is it some 
  sort of broken 8 or what?

The 69 problem: The numeral 6 is identical to an inverted 9, and vice versa. 
Anyone who has ever played billiards can tell you that this is a major
problem.

The set of 10 symbols is woefully inadequate. Programmers, who must often 
do calculations in base 16, are forced to use the first 6 letters of the
alphabet for the digits 10 through 15. 0123456789ABCDEF. Ridiculous!

In conclusion, the Arabic numerals are wholly inadequate. The entire set must
be reworked, or better yet, abandoned. Fortunately, there are alternatives.
The Roman numerals, for instance, have proven to be quite popular among stone
cutters and clock-makers.

For more information about numeral reform, please write to:

L. de Belfrunto
c/o Couturat Institute
XXXIV Sarkasmo St.
Ebura Turo

This article is in the pubic domain and may reproduce freely.
 
* fin *
Newsgroups: soc.culture.esperanto