Mangarevan invention of binary steps for easier calculation

被引:28
作者
Bender, Andrea [1 ]
Beller, Sieghard [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Bergen, Dept Psychosocial Sci, N-5020 Bergen, Norway
关键词
mathematical cognition; binary numeration systems; cognitive tools; cultural representations; mental arithmetic; NUMERICAL COGNITION; SYSTEMS; FINGERS; SUPPORT; WORDS;
D O I
10.1073/pnas.1309160110
中图分类号
O [数理科学和化学]; P [天文学、地球科学]; Q [生物科学]; N [自然科学总论];
学科分类号
07 ; 0710 ; 09 ;
摘要
When Leibniz demonstrated the advantages of the binary system for computations as early as 1703, he laid the foundation for computing machines. However, is a binary system also suitable for human cognition? One of two number systems traditionally used on Mangareva, a small island in French Polynesia, had three binary steps superposed onto a decimal structure. Here, we show how this system functions, how it facilitated arithmetic, and why it is unique. The Mangarevan invention of binary steps, centuries before their formal description by Leibniz, attests to the advancements possible in numeracy even in the absence of notation and thereby highlights the role of culture for the evolution of and diversity in numerical cognition.
引用
收藏
页码:1322 / 1327
页数:6
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