The Lincos "dictionary," intended to be transmitted first before any additional messages, begins with an extremely simple pattern of pulses intended to establish the terminology for natural numbers and basic arithmatic? (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) in base two. The concepts of equality, comparison, variables and constants are also illustrated by a series of examples, and then finally [propositional calculus]?, set theory and [predicate calculus]?. The next section of the Lincos dictionary establishes vocabulary for describing time, introducing means for measuring durations, referring to moments in time, and talking about past and future events. The third section is perhaps the most complex, and attempts to convey the concepts and language necessary to describe behavior and conversation between individuals. It uses examples to introduce actors speaking to each other, asking questions, disapproving, quoting other people, knowing and wanting things, promising, and playing. Finally, the fourth section describes the concepts and language relating to mass, space, and motion. This last section goes so far as to describe physical features of human beings and of the Solar system.
A second book was planned but never written that would have added four more sections to the dictionary: "Matter," "Earth," "Life" and "Behavior 2." Other researchers have since extended the language somewhat on their own.
No actual transmissions have been made using Lincos; it remains largely a theoretical exercise.
![[Home]](wikipedia.png)