NOTE: VIEW WITH MONOSPACED FONT Jan. 28, 1992 GLOSSARY.TXT GLOSSARY: TRANSLATING MESSAGES FROM ALIENS NUMBERS: Numbers are separated by double spaces from words, symbols, or other numbers. Numbers consist of a sign bit (+ = positive; o = negative) followed by a single space and then the number part, which is simply a binary number, using + for one and o for zero. Positive six is written + ++o. Zero is written + o. Negative six is written o ++o. In order to show that the aliens themselves use an octal number system, rather than simply binary, they use powers of 8 in representing very large or small numbers. A number can be multiplied by a power of 8, in which case the binary number is followed by a double space, a multiplication sign (++), a double space, 8 (+ +ooo), a double space, the "to the power of" sign (+++), a double space, and the exponent, which consists of the sign bit of the exponent, a single space, and the binary number of the exponent. 1,073,741,824 (decimal number) = 8^10 is written as + +ooo +++ + +o+o 1/1,073,741,824 = 1/8^10 = 8^-10 is written as + +ooo +++ o +o+o Positive 2,147,483,648 (decimal) = 2 x 1,073,741,824 (decimal) = 2 x 8^10 = 2 x 2^31 is + +o ++ + +o+o +++ + +o+o The reciprocal of this number is 1/2,147,483,648 (decimal) = 4.65661287308 x 10^-10 (decimal) = 2^-31 = 4 x 8^-11 is + +oo ++ + +o+o +++ o +o++ MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS AND OPERATORS plus: o+ minus: +o multiplied by: ++ divided by: oo to the power: +++ equals: ooo not equal to: ++o approximately equal to: o+o proportional to: +o+ greater than: oo+ less than: +oo greater than or equal to: oo+ ooo less than or equal to: +oo ooo left parenthesis: ooo+ right parenthesis: +ooo left bracket: oo++ right bracket: ++oo left curly brace: o+++ right curly brace: +++o pi: o++o base of natural logs: +oo+ positive infinity: + oooo negative infinity: o oooo UNITS The aliens use the MKS measurement system. We made this artificial simplification to save the Human Team a lot of tedious calculation. The wavelength unit for light, apprnm (approximately a nanometer), was derived octally by dividing a meter by 8^10. radian oooooo meter +oooo+ apprnm (approximate nanometer) +oo+++ 1 apprnm = 1 meter/8^10 = 1 meter/1073741824 = 0.9313 nanometer 1 nanometer = 1.0737 apprnm kilogram ooooo+ second ++++o+ kelvin degree Kelvin oooo+o hertz cycle/second oo+++o m/sec +o++++ m/sec^2 +o+++o newton kg-m/sec^2 +o+ooo joule kg-m^2/sec^2 +o++oo watt kg-m^2/sec^3 +o++o+ coulomb o+oooo amp coulomb/sec o+ooo+ weber/m^2 oo+o+o NAMES OF THINGS Alpha Cent. A o+ooo++ Alpha Cent. B o+ooo+o Proxima o+oooo+ Sol o+ooooo Earth o++oooo Aliens' planet o++oo++ center ooo+ooo circle ++oooo+ sphere +++ooo+ ellipse ++ooo++ focus oo+o+oo neutron ++o++ proton +o+++ electron +++o+ VARIABLES NOTE: Two- and three-part names of variables only have a single space between the parts. length (distance) +oooooo (When describing the distance between two objects, put the distance symbol between the objects, using single spaces.) distance of Earth from Sol Earth distance Sol o++oooo +oooooo o+ooooo (This is also used to denote 1 AU = 140 x 8^10 meters. Later usage should restrict its use to the instantaneous distance of Earth from Sol; define another symbol for 1 AU.) radius +ooooo+ radius of Sol +ooooo+ o+ooooo circumference +ooo+o+ area ++ooooo area of circle ++ooooo ++oooo+ area of sphere ++ooooo +++ooo+ volume +++oooo volume of sphere +++oooo +++ooo+ eccentricity oo+ooo+ semimajor axis +oooo++ semiminor axis +oooo+o period ++++oo+ period of Earth about Sol o++oooo ++++oo+ o+ooooo (Earth period Sol) mass oooooo+ mass of Sol oooooo+ o+ooooo luminosity ooooo++ temperature ooooo+o wavelength +ooo+++ CONSTANTS gravitational G +o+++++ speed of light c +oo++++ PARTICLE REPRESENTATIONS up quark o oo down quark oo o electron oo oo INTERACTION REPRESENTATIONS strong force: ++o++ + + + ++o++ + + + + ++o++ and + + + + + + + + + + + + + +o+++ electromagnetic: +++ + +++o+ ++ +++ +++o+ and +o+++ +o+++ and +o+++ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + and + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +++o+ +++o+ +++o+ both strong and electromagnetic: + + + +++ +o+++ + + + +o+++ +++ + + +