• jendrik@discuss.tchncs.de
    31·
    1 year ago

    subtracting one from Exponent means halving (when the base is two):

    2⁴ = 16 2³ = 8 2² = 4 2¹ = 2 2⁰ = 1

    It’s a simple continuation of the pattern and required for mathemarical rules to work.

    • uberrice@feddit.de
      1·
      1 year ago

      This is confidently wrong.

      3^0 is also 1. 2738394728^0 is also 1.

      Edit: just saw that technically you’re correct - sure.

      IF base 2, Exponent reduction equals to halving - dividing by 2.

      For x^y reducing y by one is equal to dividing by x, then we have the proof it always works.

      • Globulart@lemmy.world
        4·
        1 year ago

        But that’s because for 3 the sequence is dividing by 3 not 2.

        81, 27, 9, 3, 1, 1/3, 1/9, etc.

        3^4, 3^3, 3^2, 3^1, 3^0, 3^(-1), 3^(-2), etc.

        You’re not always halving, but the method is the same and it sometimes helps people understand the concept more easily.