A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

[Nolgroth]

If you had approximately 30 - 50 Earth-sized (in population terms) planets, how many digits would you need to create a "social security number" system that would encompass all of those worlds? Assuming growth was somewhat stagnated, with a new Earth-sized population only being added about once every 5 - 10 years. Alphanumeric characters could also be used if that would make things easier.

 

It might even be easier to have a 3-5 digit "planet" code followed by a numeric string.

 

And, is there a program that any of you know of that will randomly generate (alpha)numeric strings of indefinite length.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

[ghost-angel]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Currently SSNs are divided into 3 groups.

 

Area (xxx) Group (xx) and Serial Number (xxxx)

 

I would extend the Group and Serial Number by 1 digit and add two more sections:

 

Star System (xx) Planet (xx) Area (xxx) Group (xxx) Serial Number (xxxxx)

 

If you use all the avail in an AGS you could cover a population of almost a trillion per planet. Assuming my brain is adding correct tonight.

 

xx-xx-xxx-xxx-xxxxx for example of 15-05-392-552-01567

If you have too many star systems you can either use 3 digits, or use Alphas.

[Spence]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

I did a quick check.

 

The SSN is three numbers, the Area Code, the Group Code and the number. AAA-GG-NNNN

 

So the max number is 9999 times the max group 99 = 989,901, times the max Area 999 = 988,911,099.

 

Try this Planet Code - Area Code - Group Code - Number

 

PP-AAA-GGG-NNNN

 

9999*999 = 9,989,001*999 = 9,979,011,999*99 = 987,922,187,901

 

Each planet could number 9.9 Billion with this system. 987 billion on 99 Planets.

 

If they run out of numbers they only need to add another digit to the group code or the area code.

If the number of planets exceed 99 you can simply add another digit.

[Spence]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Or what GA said

[Nolgroth]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Both great suggestions. Thanks a million. Or several. Do I need group codes for all the thanks?

[Spence]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Nope....

 

maybe an ego code

[Nolgroth]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Nope....

 

maybe an ego code

You? Ego? No way!

 

Wait! This is Spence. Ok. EGO code then.

[Basil]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

50 * (6.7 * 10^9) = 3.35 * 10^11

 

That's a minimum of 12 digits. However, that runs a very, very high risk of mis-identification, mis-filing, etc., due to transposition of a digit, etc.

 

The current USA SSN has 9 digits, giving a theoretical max of one billion numbers. Which avoids the above problem, but not really well enough.

 

Common credit cards have 16 digits, about twice as many as "needed," which thoroughly avoids the problem.

 

Which raises the question, how much will the "ID" number you have in mind be used? The more widely used, the more you need to avoid inadvertent "overlap". I'd suggest 1.5 -2 times as many digits as really needed, if the ID number will be used as much as credit cards are now. You would also want to get rid of any "planet/area/etc." system, as that would make guessing someone's ID number easier.

 

OTOH, if it will be used more like current USA SSN's, the ideas of ghost-angel and Spence would be fine.

[ghost-angel]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

Common credit cards have 16 digits' date=' about twice as many as "needed," which thoroughly avoids the problem.[/quote']

 

The reason credit cards do that is because they are also divided into blocks.

 

The first four digits tell you what kind of card (Visa, Mastercard, etc). The second four are a bank owner code. The last eight are the ID number. As an example, I have a VISA that starts with 4808 - you will never see any other type of card in existence but a VISA start with 4808. The first 8 digits are not random by any means, they are assigned; just like the first five of an SSN.

 

They are "twice as many as needed" because they want to avoid overlap, it's because half the CC Number is simply an identifier of who issued the card. Just like the first 5 of an SSN are simply regional identifiers, the last four digits are the actual persons ID.

[Basil]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

The reason credit cards do that is because they are also divided into blocks.

 

The first four digits tell you what kind of card (Visa, Mastercard, etc). The second four are a bank owner code. The last eight are the ID number. As an example, I have a VISA that starts with 4808 - you will never see any other type of card in existence but a VISA start with 4808. The first 8 digits are not random by any means, they are assigned; just like the first five of an SSN.

 

They are "twice as many as needed" because they want to avoid overlap, it's because half the CC Number is simply an identifier of who issued the card. Just like the first 5 of an SSN are simply regional identifiers, the last four digits are the actual persons ID.

 

OK, I must have been misinformed or misunderstood something I read some time back (can't remember where). I had thought all the digits were the "account number" per se.

 

According to here and here, the first six numbers identify the issuer, the last digit is a "check" digit, and the rest are the account number per se. (note that this site says something else).

[ghost-angel]

Re: A Question From a Math Challenged Individual

 

They have gotten a little more complex in CC Numbers in the last few decades, mixing up which of the First 8 identify Bank and Card Type, last four are always the Card ID/Account Number.

 

Which is where differing info comes from. Back when I owned a CC Generator, the first four was always the Card Type, but that's way way in the past.

 

At this point I believe only the first digit IDs which kind of card it is, but the next 3 are part of which bank owns that block of that Card ID - all VISA are 4, but one bank will own all the 4325 cards, for example. So it's easier to just say the first 4 are the card type, but yes the second 3 can be used to identify which bank you're dealing with. As can the second block of 4 (digits 5-8), how they divide those up is usually up to the bank itself (meaning sometimes only 2 of the numbers are important and 2 of them are used as a 'check' - like they might only ever have digits 7-8 be a "32" so any other 2 numbers there ID it as a false CC).

 

I no longer own a valid Credit Card Generator, just to get it said - nor have I ever used a CCGenerator for anything but a learning tool.