Babylonian Base-60 Arithmetic: Superior Positional System Enabling Exact Division and Early Astronomy — E8 Intelligence Research
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: FINDING: Babylonian base-60 (sexagesimal) arithmetic was a computationally superior positional system, enabling exact division by highly composite numbers (2,3,5 and their products) — a key enabler for early astronomy and angular measurement. | MATH: Base 60 = 2²·3·5; prime factors {2,3,5}. In base-60, 1/n terminates for any n = 2^a·3^b·5^c. Key reciprocals: 1/2=0;30, 1/3=0;20, 1/4=0;15, 1/5=0;12, 1/6=0;10, 1/8=0;07,30, 1/9=0;06,40, 1/12=0;05, 1/15=0;04, 1/16=0;03,45, 1/20=0;03, 1/24=0;02,30, 1/25=0;02,24, 1/27=0;02,13,20, 1/30=0;02, 1/32=0;01,52,30, 1/36=0;01,40, 1/40=0;01,30, 1/45=0;01,20, 1/48=0;01,15, 1/50=0;01,12, 1/54=0;01,06,40, 1/60=0;01. | CONNECTION: Base-60 is the **least common multiple of 1,2,3,4,5,6** — the first six integers — giving exact fractions for all harmonic divisions of the circle. This directly yields the 360° circle (6×60), and the sexagesimal fractions 0;30 (1/2), 0;20 (1/3), 0;15 (1/4), 0;12 (1/5), 0;10 (1/6) — which are the **exact angular subdivisions** us Author: Andrew Stewart Caldin, Independent Researcher, UK. Part of the E8 Intelligence Research series. Platform: e8intelligence.com
Author: Caldin, Andrew Stewart
Language: English
Subfield: Theoretical Computer Science
Field: Mathematics
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7212123791
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