Saturday, January 8, 2011

Variable Bases

So I was thinking about what it would take to change a large integer, say:
897123564981762397869565
and subject it to a different base so as to turn said number into say
444444444444444444444444

But, I don't think such a thing is possible.  But it is a conjecture of mine that it IS possible given variable bases for each decimal space.

so for instance, the way we think of number would have a base 10 at each decimal space.  so for the number 547913765

   5     4      7     9     1     3     7     6     5
[ 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 , 10 ]


Well, I think and believe there is a possible configuration of these bases that can turn any number into almost any other number.  so if we were to plug a base 10 number into another base system say:

[ 7 , 7 , 7 , 3 , 10 , 4 , 7 , 11 , 32 ]

It would come out radically different.  You run into problems with representing number over base 10 of course, and can only really sanely represent up to base 36 which would be 0123456789abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz.

My general question and belief is that any number can be represented as any other number of the same lexiconographical length.  so my question is, using what variable bases of

[ I , H , G , F , E , D , C , B , A ]

can
547913765
be represented as
98723459

???????????????? 

 The problem is I don't know of a fast way to code this into python YET.  I'll keep you posted.

There might be some numbers that can not, given any variable bases, reach another number.  Those would be the 'primes' of such a system.

man I got a wonky view of prime numbers