Place Value
Last updated
Last updated
Why can we represent millions of different numbers even though we only have 10 symbols in the arabic numeral system? The answer is that the position of each symbol relative to the other numbers changes its value.
Early number systems seem reminiscent of a tally system.
Roman numerals
Babylonian base 60
The invention of the zero was a significant advance in our number systems.
The value of a digit depends on its position relative to our decimal point. Notice that although we don't always write the decimal point, its position is always important.
We can use any number as the basis of a place-value system
Computers use base 2 and 16
These bases provide different representations of the same number
Here are five dots .....
We can call this "five"
Others call it "cinco"
In decimal we call it "5"
In binary we call it "101"
A base 2 system is the basis for computer representations of numbers.
The computer performs all calculations in binary and then converts to decimal.
This is a base sixteen representation. It includes the letters A, B, C, D, E, and F to represent 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15.
You may see this if you have worked with computer colors for websites or graphic design.
The techniques you learned to add, subtract, multiply, and divide numbers exploit the place value system.
Imagine multiplication if you had only tally marks or stones as a representation. To multiply 5 by 6, you would make five piles of six stones and then carefully count all 30 stones to arrive at your answer. Any multiplication resulting in an impractical number of stones would be beyond your capability.
See written notes
Do you understand how these algorithms work?
Can you see them as a tree model estimation?
Repeated subtraction
Long division
Repeated quotients
Understand the role of place-value in our algorithms
Repeated addition
Place value allows for simple algorithms to compute multiplication
Traditional multiplication
Lattice multiplication
Strogatz, From Fish to Infinity
Strogatz, Location, Location, Location