[r-t] History

[John Harrison]

In article <5392E9BA.2000309 at snowtiger.net>,
   Mark Davies <mark at snowtiger.net> wrote:
> ...you are still thinking of the wrong definition of the word "pure", 

Interesting point.  In lay terms, pure is a value judgement, and in this
context such terms are viewed with suspicion because of the history of the
imposition of such value judgements.

Change ringing is a mathematical construct and mathematical criteria are
highly relevant.  Uniqueness (truth) is one, completeness (extents) is
another.  Pure Triples (only triple changes) was the driving force behind
the 300 year effort on bobs-only Stedman Triples.

> the contamination is that of base 10

The base doesn't alter fundamentals.  Decimal 5040 (hex 13B0) is 7!
regardless of base.  The base becomes significant because where you want a
convenient number rather than a fundamental one, a tidy number is
convenient.  

Decimal 5000 (hex 1388) is arbitrary but tidy in decimal.  Hex 1000
(decimal 4096) is arbitrary but tidy in hex.  

The date touch I rang a few months ago was 2014.   Decimal 2000 or hex 800
(decimal 2048) would have been much tidier but hardly appropriate.

Regards

-- 
John Harrison
Website http://jaharrison.me.uk