tlhIngan-Hol Archive: Sat Nov 15 05:25:16 1997
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Re: negative integers
- From: Qov <[email protected]>
- Subject: Re: negative integers
- Date: Sat, 15 Nov 1997 05:25:08 -0800
At 15:08 97-11-13 -0800, qoror wrote:
}ghItlh Anthony.Appleyard
}>> I doubt very much that my construction will be used officially but it
}>> was
}>> only a suggestion to solve a problem. I like your idea of wejHa'
}>><Un-three?>
}>> that has potential.
}>
}> Some mathematicians may want a Klingon word for sqrt(-1).
}
}I don't think that Klingons would think much of irrational numbers myself.
Three different concepts here: negative numbers, irrational numbers and
imaginary numbers. The argument that Klingons wouldn't have much regard for
them is unfounded. All three are found in the physics and engineering
calculations and it's silly to suggest that a spacefaring people would not
have advanced mathematics.
A number with a verb suffix on it like {wejHa'} or {wejpa'} I doubt highly.
My guesses for both negative and imaginary numbers would be a preceding or
following word indicating the difference, perhaps -3 is {ghIrbogh wej} or
{DuvHa'bogh wej} and 3i {Hujbogh wej}. Important irrationals like pi and e
probably have their own names in Klingon. This is an area I would expect to
have specialized technical vocabulary
Perhaps Maltz studied mathematics and in time Okrand will get us the
vocabulary we need to explain pi e and i and how they are related.
Qov [email protected]
Beginners' Grammarian