What is Sexagesimal?
'''Sexagesimal''' ('''base 60''') is a [[number system]] with [[60 (number)|sixty]] as its [[radix|base]]. It was invented by the ancient [[Sumer]]ians in the 3rd millennium BC.<ref>Menninger, Karl. 1969. ''Number words and number symbolsL a cultural history of numbers''. MIT Press.</ref> It was passed down to the ancient [[Babylonia]]ns, and it is still used—in a modified form—for measuring [[time]], [[angle]]s, and [[geographic coordinate system|geographic coordinates]]. The number 60 is a [[composite number]]. It has twelve [[factorization|factors]], namely 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60, of which 2, 3, and 5 are [[prime number]]s. Therefore, using sexagesimal numbers, [[fraction (mathematics)|fraction]]s are simplified. For example, one hour can be divided evenly into sections of 30 minutes, 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 12 minutes, 10 minutes, 6 minutes, 5 minutes, 4 minutes, 3 minutes, 2 minutes, and 1 minute. 60 is the smallest number that is divisible by every number from 1 to 6; that is, it is the lowest common [[multiple]] of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Note: here in this article, all sexagesimal digits are represented as decimal numbers. For example, ''10'' means the number [[10 (number)|ten]] and ''60'' means the number [[60 (number)|sixty]].<ref>Ifrah, Georges 1999. ''The universal history of numbers: from prehistory to the invention of the computer''. Wiley. ISBN 0-471-37568-3</ref> == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Numerals]]