On         Fri, 20 Oct 1995 Rick P <[log in to unmask]> said:


> i've been told the date has to be on or
>after january 1, 2001 naught january 1, 2000.
>personally i feel january 1, 2000 would be the first day of the 21st
century.
>any mathematicians out there care to explain

There is no year zero. The first year of the first century, following our
metaphor, began on Jan 1, year 1.  The century ended therefore 100 years
later on December 31 of year 100 and the new century began on Jan 1 of the
year 101.  Well, it is kind of easy to follow that the end of the 20th
century is Dec 31, 2000 and the new millenium begins on Jan 1, 2001.

Ok, this is what is mathematically required. But do you think that there is
a dabase in existance that insists on these termini with which to phrase
queries.  Does the request for all 19th objects include only those from Jan
1, 1801 to Dec 31, 1900?  I'll bet not.

The man on the street, no longer remembering the year one, always thinks
that the new century begins on the double-aughts. But those of us in the
know, know that the century begins on the ones; and so, for that matter do
the decades.  It is all the fault of those darned computer people who
insist on counting starting with zero, so that by the time they have ten of
anything they have only reached nine.

When I build databases, I cheat.  Any century includes 101 years in my
book, say from the start of 1800 to the end of 1900.

The best story I've heard (somewhat related) was about this professor at
Brandeis whose students of 19th century literature would write final exams
on the theme of the "fantasy echo."  This happened, not once, but many
times.  Well there is no such theme called "fantasy echo" (sounds good
though).  The professor was actually discussing the fin de sie`cle.  Oops.


Things are moving so fast nowadays that at the end of our century, unless
we all decide upon which year is really the end, the fantasy of the year
2000 may not last to echo into the year 2001.  I think I might easily fail
that exam in 20th century lit if I can't figure out when that century
actually ended.
--
______________________________________

Robert A. Baron
Museum Computer Consultant
P.O. Box 93, Larchmont, NY 10538
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