What is Number System in Maths?

A number system is defined as a system of writing to express numbers. It is the mathematical

notation for representing numbers of a given set by using digits or other symbols in a consistent
manner. It provides a unique representation of every number and represents the arithmetic and
algebraic structure of the figures. It also allows us to operate arithmetic operations like addition,
subtraction, multiplication and division.

The value of any digit in a number can be determined by:

 The digit
 Its position in the number
 The base of the number system
Before discussing the different types of number system examples, first, let us discuss what is a
number?

What is a Number?
A number is a mathematical value used for counting or measuring or labelling objects. Numbers
are used to performing arithmetic calculations. Examples of numbers are natural numbers,
whole numbers, rational and irrational numbers, etc. 0 is also a number that represents a null
value.

A number has many other variations such as even and odd numbers, prime and composite
numbers. Even and odd terms are used when a number is divisible by 2 or not, whereas prime
and composite differentiate between the numbers that have only two factors and more than two
factors, respectively.

In a number system, these numbers are used as digits. 0 and 1 are the most common digits in the
number system, that are used to represent binary numbers. On the other hand, 0 to 9 digits are
also used for other number systems. Let us learn here the types of number systems.
Types of Number Systems
There are various types of number systems in mathematics. The four most common number
system types are:

1. Decimal number system (Base- 10)

2. Binary number system (Base- 2)
3. Octal number system (Base-8)
4. Hexadecimal number system (Base- 16)
Now, let us discuss the different types of number systems with examples.

Decimal Number System (Base 10 Number System)

The decimal number system has a base of 10 because it uses ten digits from 0 to 9. In the
decimal number system, the positions successive to the left of the decimal point represent units,
tens, hundreds, thousands and so on. This system is expressed in decimal numbers. Every
position shows a particular power of the base (10).

Example of Decimal Number System:

The decimal number 1457 consists of the digit 7 in the units position, 5 in the tens place, 4 in the
hundreds position, and 1 in the thousands place whose value can be written as:

(1×103) + (4×102) + (5×101) + (7×100)

(1×1000) + (4×100) + (5×10) + (7×1)

1000 + 400 + 50 + 7

1457

Binary Number System (Base 2 Number System)

The base 2 number system is also known as the Binary number system wherein, only two binary
digits exist, i.e., 0 and 1. Specifically, the usual base-2 is a radix of 2. The figures described
under this system are known as binary numbers which are the combination of 0 and 1. For
example, 110101 is a binary number.

We can convert any system into binary and vice versa.

Example

Write (14)10 as a binary number.

Solution:

Base 2 Number System Example

∴ (14)10 = 11102

Octal Number System (Base 8 Number System)

In the octal number system, the base is 8 and it uses numbers from 0 to 7 to represent numbers.
Octal numbers are commonly used in computer applications. Converting an octal number to
decimal is the same as decimal conversion and is explained below using an example.

Example: Convert 2158 into decimal.

Solution:

2158 = 2 × 82 + 1 × 81 + 5 × 80

= 2 × 64 + 1 × 8 + 5 × 1

= 128 + 8 + 5

= 14110
Hexadecimal Number System (Base 16 Number System)
In the hexadecimal system, numbers are written or represented with base 16. In the hexadecimal
system, the numbers are first represented just like in the decimal system, i.e. from 0 to 9. Then,
the numbers are represented using the alphabet from A to F. The below-given table shows the
representation of numbers in the hexadecimal number system.

Hexadecimal 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F

Decimal 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Number System Chart

In the number system chart, the base values and the digits of different number systems can be
found. Below is the chart of the numeral system.

Number System Chart

Number System Conversion

Numbers can be represented in any of the number system categories like binary, decimal,
hexadecimal, etc. Also, any number which is represented in any of the number system types can
be easily converted to another. Check the detailed lesson on the conversions of number
systems to learn how to convert numbers in decimal to binary and vice versa, hexadecimal to
binary and vice versa, and octal to binary and vice versa using various examples.

With the help of the different conversion procedures explained above, now let us discuss in brief
about the conversion of one number system to the other number system by taking a random
number.

Assume the number 349. Thus, the number 349 in different number systems is as follows:

The number 349 in the binary number system is 101011101

The number 349 in the decimal number system is 349.

The number 349 in the octal number system is 535.

The number 349 in the hexadecimal number system is 15D

Number System Solved Examples

Example 1:

Convert (1056)16 to an octal number.

Solution:

Given, 105616 is a hex number.

First we need to convert the given hexadecimal number into decimal number

(1056)16

= 1 × 163 + 0 × 162 + 5 × 161 + 6 × 160

= 4096 + 0 + 80 + 6

= (4182)10

Now we will convert this decimal number to the required octal number by repetitively dividing
by 8.

8 4182 Remainder
8 522 6

8 65 2

8 8 1

8 1 0

0 1

Therefore, taking the value of the remainder from bottom to top, we get;

(4182)10 = (10126)8

Therefore,

(1056)16 = (10126)8

Example 2:

Convert (1001001100)2 to a decimal number.

Solution:

(1001001100)2

= 1 × 29 + 0 × 28 + 0 × 27 + 1 × 26 + 0 × 25 + 0 × 24 + 1 × 23 + 1 × 22 + 0 × 21 + 0 × 20

= 512 + 64 + 8 + 4

= (588)10

Example 3:

Convert 101012 into an octal number.

Solution:

Given,
 101012 is the binary number

We can write the given binary number as,

010 101

Now as we know, in the octal number system,

010 → 2

101 → 5

Therefore, the required octal number is (25)8

Example 4:

Convert hexadecimal 2C to decimal number.

Solution:

We need to convert 2C16 into binary numbers first.

2C → 00101100

Now convert 001011002 into a decimal number.

101100 = 1 × 25 + 0 × 24 + 1 × 23 + 1 × 22 + 0 × 21 + 0 × 20

= 32 + 8 + 4

= 44

Digital Electronics and logic gates

Complete details about logic gates in the electronic circuit that work on the grounds of
digital electronics with its functioning and tabular explanations.

TABLE OF CONTENT
 Definition
 Digital electronics deals with the detailed study of digital data and codes. These are the industrial
electronics that are now usable in the fields of communication and military operations. The coding
system in digital electronics makes it more secure and stable. There is a special number system in
this study that creates the data for further functioning. The logic gates in digital electronics play an
integral role in the circuit system of digital electronics. The study of digital electronics is about the
code system which has its design in a manner to send and receive a message in a particular format.

Definition:
Digital electronics are the circuits of the modern era. In the world of electronics two types of signals
are present:

 Analog signals- the signals which function in a continuous manner.

 Digital signals- the signals which function in a discrete manner.

Digital electronics follow the binary numbering system as of 0 and 1. The complete data of a logic
gate is an electronic circuit which relies on this system itself. There are several apparatus of modern
technology which follow this formula for functioning.

Components of digital electronics:

Based on the functioning property the digital system has certain types of components. The complete
functioning of digital electronics varies on the basis of these components. There are two types of
components in digital electronics. The basic and rapid function under this depends upon the gates in
digital electronics. Below are the two important components of digital electronics:

 Active components :

These components turn out to be useful to allow the smooth flow of current in the circuit. This type of
component is the active component. Transistors and diodes are common examples of active
components in digital circuits.

 Passive components :

These components store the electric energy and change it into the magnetic field as per the
requirements. Inductors, capacitors, and insulators are the basic examples of passive components in
digital electronics.

Logic gates:
 These gates play the most important part in digital electronics. Many of the theories state that logic
gates in digital electronics which direct the current and power flow are its building blocks. The digital
circuit is all about the input and output of the current flow. The logic gates are the result of the
relationship between input and output current. This logic makes the circuit flow in a different way.
There are various kinds of logic gates, the only common factor in all the logic gates is that it has only
one output. There are positive and negative logic gates in digital electronics and each gate may
have more than one output.

The gates in digital electronics are of certain types. The division of these logic gates is on the basis
of their functioning and the type of circuits for which they are useful. Here is the description:

 AND Gate:

This gate has two or more inputs and ends with a single output which is its ‘logic’, it is one of the
basic logic gates in digital electronics. This type of digital circuit takes the input A and B from two or
more sources to produce it is logical AND Y. This is the reason this gate is an AND gate.

The above is the logic diagram and truth table of the AND gate. Here A and B are the inputs and Y is
the logical AND output. The truth table states all the possible functioning of the circuit if the current
passes through the AND gate. Many questions like ic 7408 are used for which logic gate arrives
often. The AND gate involves such usage of ICs.

 OR Gate:

This Gate also has two or more inputs with a single output to produce a logical OR. This gate
produces the output in an extra format

The above is the logic diagram and truth table which shows the tendency of the flow of current. The
truth table states all the possible output values from the OR gate.
 NOT Gate:
This gate is also known as the inverter because it receives a single input and produces a single
output. It is an inverter also because it produces the output inverse value of the input received. Here
are the logic diagram and the truth table:

 NAND Gate:

This gate is the combination of AND and NOT gate. The gate can have more than two input values
and a single output value. It gives the equal result like in AND and NOT gate produces. The truth
table and logic diagram are:

 NOR Gate:

This gate is the combination of NOT and OR gate and also gives similar results as these two gates
give. This works with the same fundamental if two or more input values and a single output.
 These are the truth table and logic diagram of the NOR gate.

 XOR Gate:

This gate works as a subtractor and full and half adder. This is a special gate also known as EX-OR
Gate. It can have two or more inputs with one single output.

This is the logic diagram and truth table of the XOR gate.
 XNOR Gate:

This gate is useful as a full and half adder and subtractor. This gate mentions the positive and
negative logic in digital electronics. It is also known as EX-NOR Gate with two or more inputs and
a single output.
 The above is the truth table and logic diagram of XNOR Gate.

Advantages of logic gates:

There are many advantages of logic gates that mark their performance in digital electronics. Here
are some of them:

 These gates give very quick performance than other components.

 They need the very least amount of energy.
 Never get overworked.
 Bring clear and encrypted data.