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Integer Representation

Integers can be represented in computers using a fixed number of bits. There are two main types: unsigned integers which can only represent non-negative numbers, and signed integers which can represent both positive and negative numbers. Signed integers have three main representation schemes - sign-magnitude, 1's complement, and 2's complement. The document explains each representation scheme in detail, including how the most significant bit is used to indicate the sign and how the magnitude is interpreted for positive and negative values. Programmers must select the appropriate bit length and representation scheme for integers based on their application's requirements.

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Zakir Khaan
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46 views

Integer Representation

Integers can be represented in computers using a fixed number of bits. There are two main types: unsigned integers which can only represent non-negative numbers, and signed integers which can represent both positive and negative numbers. Signed integers have three main representation schemes - sign-magnitude, 1's complement, and 2's complement. The document explains each representation scheme in detail, including how the most significant bit is used to indicate the sign and how the magnitude is interpreted for positive and negative values. Programmers must select the appropriate bit length and representation scheme for integers based on their application's requirements.

Uploaded by

Zakir Khaan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Integer

Representation
Integers are whole numbers or fixed-point
numbers with the radix point fixed after
the least-significant bit. They are contrast
to real numbers or floating-point
numbers, where the position of the radix
point varies. It is important to take note
that integers and floating-point numbers
are treated differently in computers. They
have different representation and are
processed differently (e.g., floating-point
numbers are processed in a so-called
floating-point processor). Floating-point
numbers will be discussed later.
Computers use a fixed number of bits to
represent an integer. The commonly-used
bit-lengths for integers are 8-bit, 16-bit,
32-bit or 64-bit. Besides bit-lengths, there
are two representation schemes for
integers:
1. Unsigned Integers: can
represent zero and positive integers.
2. Signed Integers: can represent
zero, positive and negative integers.
Three representation schemes had
been proposed for signed integers:
1. Sign-Magnitude
representation
2. 1's Complement
representation
3. 2's Complement
representation
You, as the programmer, need to decide
on the bit-length and representation
scheme for your integers, depending on
your application's requirements. Suppose
that you need a counter for counting a
small quantity from 0 up to 200, you
might choose the 8-bit unsigned integer
scheme as there is no negative numbers
involved.

n-bit Unsigned
Integers :
Unsigned integers can represent zero and
positive integers, but not negative
integers. The value of an unsigned integer
is interpreted as "the magnitude of its
underlying binary pattern".
Example 1: Suppose that n=8 and the
binary pattern is 0100 0001B, the value
of this unsigned integer is 1×2^0 +
1×2^6 = 65D.
Example 2: Suppose that n=16 and the
binary pattern is 0001 0000 0000
1000B, the value of this unsigned integer
is 1×2^3 + 1×2^12 = 4104D.
Example 3: Suppose that n=16 and the
binary pattern is 0000 0000 0000
0000B, the value of this unsigned integer
is 0.

Signed Integers :
Signed integers can represent zero,
positive integers, as well as negative
integers. Three representation schemes
are available for signed integers:
1. Sign-Magnitude representation
2. 1's Complement representation
3. 2's Complement representation
In all the above three schemes, the most-
significant bit (msb) is called the sign bit.
The sign bit is used to represent
the sign of the integer - with 0 for positive
integers and 1 for negative integers.
The magnitude of the integer, however, is
interpreted differently in different
schemes.

n-bit Sign Integers in


Sign-Magnitude
Representation
In sign-magnitude representation:
• The most-significant bit (msb) is
the sign bit, with value of 0
representing positive integer and 1
representing negative integer.
• The remaining n-1 bits
represents the magnitude (absolute
value) of the integer. The absolute
value of the integer is interpreted as
"the magnitude of the (n-1)-bit binary
pattern".
n-bit Sign Integers in
1's Complement
Representation
In 1's complement representation:
• Again, the most significant bit
(msb) is the sign bit, with value of 0
representing positive integers and 1
representing negative integers.
• The remaining n-1 bits
represents the magnitude of the
integer, as follows:
◦ for positive integers, the
absolute value of the integer is
equal to "the magnitude of the (n-
1)-bit binary pattern".
◦ for negative integers, the
absolute value of the integer is
equal to "the magnitude of
the complement (inverse) of the
(n-1)-bit binary pattern" (hence
called 1's complement).

n-bit
• Sign
Integers in 2's
Complement
Representation
• In 2's complement representation:
• Again, the most significant bit
(msb) is the sign bit, with value of 0
representing positive integers and 1
representing negative integers.
• The remaining n-1 bits
represents the magnitude of the
integer, as follows:
◦ for positive integers, the
absolute value of the integer is
equal to "the magnitude of the (n-
1)-bit binary pattern".
◦ for negative integers, the
absolute value of the integer is
equal to "the magnitude of
the complement of the (n-1)-bit
binary pattern plus one" (hence
called 2's complement).

Decoding
• 2's
Complement
Numbers
• Check the sign bit (denoted
as S).
• If S=0, the number is positive
and its absolute value is the binary
value of the remaining n-1 bits.
• If S=1, the number is negative.
you could "invert the n-1 bits and plus
1" to get the absolute value of
negative number.
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