A Symmetrical Notation for Numbers [offprint lacking the blue wrappers]

Shannon, Claude E. [Elwood]

Published by [American Mathematical Society], [Menasha, Wis., and Providence, R. I.], 1950

Used Wraps

From Kuenzig Books ( ABAA / ILAB ), Topsfield, MA, U.S.A. Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars

Heritage Bookseller
AbeBooks member since 1996

Association Member:

This book is temporarily unavailable. Please enter search terms below to find similar copies.

View this seller's items Create a Want for similar items

View all copies of this book

About this Item

90-93 pages. 10 x 7 1/8 inches. A single sheet folded but lacking the original blue printed wrappers. Wraps. The American Mathematical Monthly first published this article in Vol 57, (Feb. 1950), pp 90-93. We offer here the original offprint issue but without the original blue printed wrappers. While we don't understand the mathematics here, one comment is fun: "If we were using this notation, department stores would find it much more difficult to camouflage the price of goods with $.98 labels." The typescript carbon in Shannon's files finishes there. But the final paper [ as offered here ] includes additional material, including a final paragraph explaining one reason for this notation: "Symmetrical notation offers attractive possibilities for general-purpose computing machines of the electronic or relay types. In these machines, it is possible to perform the calculations in any desired scale and only translate to the scale ten at input and output. The use of asymmetrical notation simplifies many of the circuits required to take care of signs in addition and subtraction, and to properly round off numbers." (p.93) "At the close of the decade, the [American Mathematical] Monthly published a beautiful, long paper by Andre Weil called the Future of Mathematics. It also published a short note in computer science by Claude Shannon called "A Symmetrical Notation for Numbers." Both papers foretold the future of mathematics." (Ewing, p. 134) PROVENANCE: The personal files of Claude E. Shannon (unmarked). There were multiple examples of this item in Shannon's files. REFERENCES: Sloane and Wyner, "Claude Elwood Shannon Collected Papers," #57 Ewing, John H., "A Century of Mathematics : Through the Eyes of the Monthly", p.134, 201-204. Seller Inventory # 29796

Report this item

Bibliographic Details

Title: A Symmetrical Notation for Numbers [offprint...
Publisher: [American Mathematical Society], [Menasha, Wis., and Providence, R. I.]
Publication Date: 1950
Binding: Wraps
Condition: Fine

AbeBooks offers millions of new, used, rare and out-of-print books, as well as cheap textbooks from thousands of booksellers around the world. Shopping on AbeBooks is easy, safe and 100% secure - search for your book, purchase a copy via our secure checkout and the bookseller ships it straight to you.