The dozenal system (also called the duodecimal system or base-12) is a mathematical framework that swaps our standard 10-digit counting system for one based on twelve. Proponents argue that switching to base-12 would make daily mental math, retail, and timekeeping drastically simpler and cleaner.
Here is how shaking up our daily math with twelves would change our lives. The New Math Toolkit
To count in base-12, we must introduce two new single-digit symbols to represent ten and eleven.
The New Digits: Traditionally, mathematicians use χ (dec/ten) and ε (el/eleven), or simply A and B.
The New Ten: The written string “10” no longer means ten. It represents one dozen (12 in base-10).
The New Hundred: The written string “100” represents a gross (144 in base-10). The Death of Repeating Fractions
The biggest advantage of dozenal math lies in divisibility. The number 10 can only be cleanly divided by 2 and 5. The number 12 can be divided by 2, 3, 4, and 6.
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