Math::BaseArith 1.00

Math::BaseArith is a Perl extension for mixed-base number representation (like APL encode/decode).

SYNOPSIS

use Math::BaseArith;
encode( value, base_list );
decode( representation_list, base_list );

The inspiration for this module is a pair of functions in the APL programming language called encode (a.k.a. "representation") and decode (a.k.a. base-value). Their principal use is to convert numbers from one number base to another. Mixed number bases are permitted.

In this perl implementation, the representation of a number in a particular number base consists of a list whose elements are the digit values in that base. For example, the decimal number 31 would be expressed in binary as a list of five ones with any number of leading zeros: [0, 0, 0, 1, 1, 1, 1, 1]. The same number expressed as three hexadecimal (base 16) digits would be [0, 1, 15], while in base 10 it would be [0, 3, 1]. Fifty-one inches would be expressed in yards, feet, inches as [1, 1, 3], an example of a mixed number base.

In the following description of encode and decode, Q will mean an abstract value or quantity, R will be its representation and B will define the number base. Q will be a perl scalar; R and B are perl lists. The values in R correspond to the radix values in B.

In the examples below, assume the output of print has been altered by setting $, = and that => is your shell prompt.