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FROM THE HISTORY OF THE BINARY NUMBER SYSTEM. THOMAS HARRIOT

https://doi.org/10.32517/2221-1993-2020-19-6-19-23

Abstract

For the first time in the Russian-language literature, the article analyzes the works of the English mathematician, geographer and astronomer Thomas Harriot (1560–1621) related to the binary number system. The various variants of the binary notation of numbers presented in the works, examples of converting a decimal number to a binary number and vice versa, examples of four arithmetic operations in the binary number system, the execution methods of which coincide with modern ones, as well as an example of multiplication by an original method, the name of which can be translated in Latin as "another method is sequential addition" are given. All this allows us to conclude that Thomas Harriot described the binary number system earlier than the great German scientist Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, who did so in his work "Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire" in 1703.

About the Authors

D. M. Zlatopolski
School 1530 "Lomonosov School"
Russian Federation
Moscow


V. V. Shilov
National Research University "Higher School of Economics"
Russian Federation
Moscow


References

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Review

For citations:


Zlatopolski D.M., Shilov V.V. FROM THE HISTORY OF THE BINARY NUMBER SYSTEM. THOMAS HARRIOT. Informatics in school. 2020;(6):19-23. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.32517/2221-1993-2020-19-6-19-23

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ISSN 2221-1993 (Print)