Project of a New System of Arithmetic: Weight, Measure and Coins, Proposed to Be Called the Tonal System, With Sixteen to the Base (Classic Reprint) - Hardcover

John W. Nystrom

9780266253051: Project of a New System of Arithmetic: Weight, Measure and Coins, Proposed to Be Called the Tonal System, With Sixteen to the Base (Classic Reprint)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0266253059 ISBN 13: 9780266253051

Publisher: Forgotten Books, 2018

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Rethinking numbers for weights, measures, and coins.

This historical proposal argues for a tonal system based on the base 16 to make arithmetic simpler in daily trade and science, not just on paper but in practice.

This edition presents the original introduction, the full outline of the tonal system, and discussions that surrounded its publication. It covers how a sixteen-base method would impact weights, measures, and monetary calculations, and it includes examples, instrument concepts, and correspondence with contemporary decimal reform discussions. The book also recounts practical instruments like a counting machine and notes on existing counting practices in Russia, Britain, and the United States.
What you’ll encounter

The case for a base-16 arithmetic designed for everyday shop work and large calculations alike.
Explanations of tonal weights, measures, and coinage, plus how a universal system could reduce confusion.
Historical letters, discussions, and practical tools—illustrations of how the tonal idea was tested in practice.
A broad view of market pricing, calculating machines, and real-world measurements across multiple countries.

Ideal for readers of history of mathematics, metrology, or 19th‑century science debates who want to understand an alternate system and its practical aims.

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