The Octal Numbering System

The current events celebrating 8 years of rule induced me to research to see if there exists a numbering system with a base of 8. By Jove, or rather by Byju the eEdu expert, such a system does exist used in computers

Mortals like us are used to the decimal system of numbers which uses 10 as the base. A number, say 1064, is explained as 1x10^3+0x10^2+6x10^1+4x10^0 + 1000+0+6x10+4x1= 1000+0+60+4+ 1064. We have used the successive powers of 10 from 0 to 3 in the direction right to left. In the Octal system, we use various powers of 8 to write a  number.  So, our number 1064 in the decimal system would be written as 1x8^3+0x8^2+6x8^1+4x8^0 =512+0+48+4x8^0 =512+48+8=568

In the normal course of our lives, we are so used to the decimal system that we celebrate major events like birth and wedding anniversaries on completion of one, ten, fifty, sixty, hundred, and so on, all multiples of 10. A decade is 10 years and a generation is 25 years.  Film producers celebrate 100 days from the date of a film’s release as a major event. For Kangana Ranavat, the octal system would give a different number for our year of real independence.

 The Octopus, which is an eight-limbedmollusk mollusk, should be comfortable in the octal system, while we humans have to find new uses for our extra two fingers in our hands and toes. The time is ripe for us in India, after Aryabhata who devised the decimal system of positional numeration, to change to the Octal system of numbers.