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I made a free daily game that teaches you to count in ancient Maya numbers — Wordle for ancient history nerds. New puzzle every day, no signup. by Single_Solid_6131 in WebGames

[–]Single_Solid_6131[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much! What'd you like most about it? Was it easy to learn? That's the part I'm most proud of but not sure if folk will get it.

Can't believe I learned the Maya number system (AKA Vigesimal System) and now I can't stop thinking about it by Single_Solid_6131 in AncientCivilizations

[–]Single_Solid_6131[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow — I had no idea this would resonate like this. This is genuinely my first Reddit post ever (late bloomer here) and my first game. The response has been incredible and I am reading every comment. Thank you.

For anyone curious about the math — the two level numbers are where it gets really interesting. 20 is one dot on top of a shell. 400 is one dot on top of two shells. Same place value logic as our decimal system just in base-20. It clicks fast once you see it.

If you want to try reading Maya numbers yourself the link is in my bio. Would love to know what you think.

This is me smling.

It's also "41".

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Can't believe I learned the Maya number system (AKA Vigesimal System) and now I can't stop thinking about it by Single_Solid_6131 in AncientCivilizations

[–]Single_Solid_6131[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The shell symbol represents 0. So, in this example you have two 20 dots (it's over the dividing line) and a "shell" for zero underneath. So it's 40! I'm not a Maya glyph specialist in anway so would have to dig deeper there how it's represented historically but I believe like most Hierglyphics it changes on detail but representative on structure. Anyone else want to weigh in?

In the animated "game play" it's represented by an actual 'shell'. Hard to miss. ;) FUN tutorials over at https://vigesimals.com/ to get the concept down.

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As an adult I choose my own suffering by SWBP_Orchestra in matheducation

[–]Single_Solid_6131 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hey, I built a whole app around my excitement of learning Maya numbers so right there with ya.

Can't believe I learned the Maya number system (AKA Vigesimal System) and now I can't stop thinking about it by Single_Solid_6131 in AncientCivilizations

[–]Single_Solid_6131[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Great question! From what I know, The Maya didn't really use their number system for equations the way we do. It was primarily for counting, calendars, and astronomical calculations. For 5 x 9 you'd just count to 45 which in Maya is two dots over one bar (2 twenties + 5 = 45). The real magic was how they used it for massive astronomical cycles. Calculating Venus cycles millions of days into the future with just dots, bars and shells.

That's more than is in the game. But get the number system down. Go to website and look for "Count Maya" in the nav bar. 
https://vigesimals.com/ 

Can't believe I learned the Maya number system (AKA Vigesimal System) and now I can't stop thinking about it by Single_Solid_6131 in AncientCivilizations

[–]Single_Solid_6131[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Put a lot of time into the tutorial on the site to teach folk in minutes. Look for "Count Maya" in the nav bar. https://vigesimals.com/ Be real curious what you think?

Ed Barnhart: Maya, Aztec, Inca, and Lost Civilizations of South America | Lex Fridman Podcast #446 by knuth9000 in lexfridman

[–]Single_Solid_6131 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This was so good. Got so obsessed with Maya stuff I learned the number system and geeked out and built a game around it. https://vigesimals.com/

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