If 4 did not exist, then you would be using a base-4 quarternary numbering system (which is able to use the numbers 0,1,2,3)
The system will be similar to how our base 10 numbers work, but instead of counting to 9 before adding a trailing zero and becoming 10, you would count to 3. So 2 plus 2 would roll past 3, and equal 10.
Technically a base 1 system cannot exist (effectively), because it would mean you were counting from zero (nothing). All base systems for real “math” have to index from null. You couldn’t even count using 0, 00, 000, 0000 because how would you know if the first 0 indicated actually zero, or was it the first item? You could only identify it by the absence of all marks, which doesn’t work in math or any modern setting.
In an oddly appropriate way, base 1 simply uses 0s to add a place holder for each counted item.
In other words ‘4’ base 1 is ‘0000’. It exists but it defeats the purpose of symbolic representation of counted items by requiring the observer to count the digits.
If 4 did not exist, then you would be using a base-4 quarternary numbering system (which is able to use the numbers 0,1,2,3)
The system will be similar to how our base 10 numbers work, but instead of counting to 9 before adding a trailing zero and becoming 10, you would count to 3. So 2 plus 2 would roll past 3, and equal 10.
Could also be using a base 3 or binary system. Or the ever elusive base 1 system.
How many of those do you have?
111
Technically a base 1 system cannot exist (effectively), because it would mean you were counting from zero (nothing). All base systems for real “math” have to index from null. You couldn’t even count using 0, 00, 000, 0000 because how would you know if the first 0 indicated actually zero, or was it the first item? You could only identify it by the absence of all marks, which doesn’t work in math or any modern setting.
Number systems are weird. I hate math sometimes.
In an oddly appropriate way, base 1 simply uses 0s to add a place holder for each counted item. In other words ‘4’ base 1 is ‘0000’. It exists but it defeats the purpose of symbolic representation of counted items by requiring the observer to count the digits.
“Two plus two is… ten. IN BASE 4, I’M FINE!”