Current State of the Argam Typeface

argam numerals

Vectors that describe the 479 numerals of the argam-kinoctove were completed 1 June 2021. This is the current state of the typeface. The final stages are fine tuning and creating the typeface file. See argam-kinoctove for details on the argam. At bottom, gray dots indicate columns wherein numerals are even, trine (divisible by three), and divisible by 5 respectively, from top to bottom. Black arrowheads indicate columns were numerals are coprime to 30, sieving for primes p > 5. Red arrowheads indicate individual numerals that appear in OEIS A025487, i.e., numbers that are the least integer of each prime signature. Red dots under the number (and those numbers in A025487 are those numbers that are runners-up to the highly composite, i.e., those in A067128.

Click here for plans regarding the argam project.

Alternates and Supplants.

In the above image a cyan checker-mark to the lower left indicates Valerian variant numberforms that supplant the previous canon. The previous numberforms will be retained as alternate forms of the numerals; digit-139 remains to be tested against confusion due to italicization, but it may merely be modified. Subsequent changes have not yet been made to products of these numerals, and further adoptions have not been put into effect. A comment period will expire 1 July 2021 in this range (digit-119 through digit-480) regarding suggestions for canon or alternate forms. If you know me, contact me, if you would like your numberforms to be considered for alts. I reserve the right to select or deny, it isn't a judgment of the author's character if an alt is denied, just a qualitative decision. Also realize I am a person and have a life to live, so I may not be able to respond to a ton of input. Because argam is intended to be a community standard, it needs to expand; I am not entertaining changing a lot of the canon, but would like to respond to community input, since it appears there is a reasonably-sized community that should be recognized. Note that anything herein should not be interpreted as a promise, guarantee, or legal transaction between myself, Vinci LLC, and any entity.

This page will register the adopted supplants for canon, with many of the suggestions (depending on quality and number) to serve as alternate forms. I will track alternate forms on a separate webpage.

Forms that supplant canonical forms should be simpler and easily distinguished from the rest of the numerals. They should follow the argam design guidelines and be aesthetically efficient. For the interim I will arbitrate which argam are "canon", but the alts are important since they enable the people to choose which form they like most and apply it in their work. The form with most usage should be canon, the alts guide usage through design and logic. There is no "magic" to 1 July 2021, except that I plan to produce a font. Like any form of syntax, argam should be expected to undergo a weathering process and expand beyond the originator into community over time. Therefore argam has proceeded into a "guidance" form of community edition. Eventually the originator will be unable to guide and it will be a cultural artifact that sees use.

See this page for a description of alternate numeral forms for certain argam.

This page last modified Thursday 22 September 2022.