Seksagesimaalinen

Seksagesimaalinen refers to a sexagesimal or base-60 numbering system. This ancient system is believed to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia with the Sumerians and was later adopted by the Babylonians. Its use is still evident today in the measurement of time, with 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour. It is also used in the measurement of angles, where a circle is divided into 360 degrees, and each degree into 60 minutes and each minute into 60 seconds.

The sexagesimal system is a positional numeral system with 60 as its base. Unlike the decimal system (base-10) that uses ten digits (0-9), the sexagesimal system requires sixty distinct symbols. However, historical records suggest that the Babylonians often used a modified system that combined elements of sexagesimal and decimal notation, using a base-10 system internally for digits 1-59. The number 60 itself was represented by the same symbol as the number 1, with context differentiating the two.

The practicality of the sexagesimal system stems from the high divisibility of the number 60. It is divisible by 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60. This property made it convenient for calculations involving fractions and divisions, which were essential for trade, astronomy, and land surveying in ancient civilizations. While not widely used for general arithmetic today, its legacy persists in specific fields.