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Reckonings : numerals, cognition, and history / Stephen Chrisomalis.
LIBRA QA141.2 .C48 2020
Available from offsite location
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Chrisomalis, Stephen, 1974- author.
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Numeration--History.
- Numeration.
- History.
- Number concept.
- Number theory.
- Genre:
- History.
- Physical Description:
- xvii, 245 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm
- Place of Publication:
- Cambridge, Massachusetts : The MIT Press, [2020]
- Summary:
- "An anthropological exploration of evolving number systems and how they are used, and eventually displace, by newer number systems"-- Provided by publisher.
- Contents:
- Machine generated contents note: 1. I The limits of numerical cognition
- Constraints against universals and particulars
- Constraining infinity
- Constraining spoken and written numbers
- The 99% problem
- Constraint, history, and cognition
- 2. II Conspicuous computation
- Dynamic philology
- Conspicuous computation
- Roman numerals redux
- Conclusion
- 3. III The decline and fall of the Roman numerals, I: Of screws and hammers
- Evaluating the merits of numerical notations
- Screws, hammers, and Roman numerals
- Awareness and metanotational commentary
- From awareness to causation
- 4. IV The decline and fall of the Roman numerals, II: Safety in numbers
- Three kinds of frequency dependence
- Networks and frequency in communication systems
- Roman and Western numerals: A case study in frequency dependence
- 5. V Number crunching
- Sequoyah's numerals
- A quinary quandary
- Outnumbering the Cherokee numerals
- 6. VI How to choose a number
- Agency without variation
- Blended modalities
- Hybrid modalities
- Parallel modalities
- Code choice
- 7. VII To infinity and beyond?
- Is your number system weird?
- Is the past like the present?
- Why is there no medieval anthropology?
- What is the future of numeral systems?
- What are the limits on human variation?.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references and index.
- Local Notes:
- Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Edward Potts Cheyney Memorial Fund.
- ISBN:
- 9780262044639
- 0262044633
- OCLC:
- 1145318851
- Publisher Number:
- 99986102154
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