ternaryjärjestelmä

The ternary system, also known as base-3, is a numeral system that uses three digits: 0, 1, and 2. Unlike the more common decimal system (base-10) which uses ten digits, or the binary system (base-2) used in computers with only two digits, the ternary system employs a value of three for each place in a number.

In the ternary system, the position of a digit represents a power of 3. For example, the ternary number 102 would be interpreted in decimal as (1 * 3^2) + (0 * 3^1) + (2 * 3^0) which equals 9 + 0 + 2 = 11. Similarly, the ternary number 21 would be (2 * 3^1) + (1 * 3^0) which equals 6 + 1 = 7.

While not as widespread as binary or decimal, the ternary system has found some niche applications. Early research in computing explored balanced ternary systems, which use digits -1, 0, and 1, offering potential advantages in certain arithmetic operations. The concept is fundamental to understanding number systems and how different bases represent quantities. It demonstrates the abstract nature of mathematics and how numerical values can be constructed using varying sets of symbols.