1. Number representations in a positional number system.
Binary and hexadecimal
systems and their applications.
Number representations in a positional number system refer to the way numbers are written
using a base and positional notation. In such systems, each digit's value depends on its
position within the number. The most common positional number systems are decimal
(base-10), binary (base-2), and hexadecimal (base-16).
- Decimal System (Base-10): This is the number system most familiar to people. It
uses 10 digits from 0 to 9. Each digit's position represents a power of 10. For
example, in the number 123, the digit '3' represents 3 ones, the digit '2' represents 2
tens (10s), and the digit '1' represents 1 hundred (10^2).
- Binary System (Base-2): In binary, there are only two digits: 0 and 1. Each digit's
position represents a power of 2. For example, in the binary number 1011, the
rightmost digit '1' represents 1 one, the next digit '1' represents 2 twos (2^1), the
next '0' represents 0 fours (2^2), and the leftmost '1' represents 8 eights (2^3),
making the total 11 in decimal.
- Hexadecimal System (Base-16): Hexadecimal uses 16 digits: 0-9 and A-F (where
A-F represent 10-15). Each digit's position represents a power of 16. For example, in
the hexadecimal number 2AC, the rightmost digit 'C' represents 12 ones, the next
digit 'A' represents 10 sixteens (16s), and the leftmost '2' represents 2 two-hundred-
and-fifty-sixes (16^2), making the total 684 in decimal.
Applications:
1. Binary System:
- Computers and Digital Electronics: Computers use binary internally to represent
data and perform operations. Binary digits (bits) are the basis of all digital
communication and computing systems.
- Boolean Algebra: Binary system forms the foundation of Boolean algebra, which is
used in digital logic circuits and computer science.
- Error Detection and Correction: Binary codes are used for error detection and
correction techniques in communication systems.
2. Hexadecimal System:
- Representation of Binary Data: Hexadecimal is often used in computing as a
more compact way to represent large binary numbers. Each hexadecimal digit
represents four binary digits (bits), making it easier for humans to work with binary
data.
- Color Representation: In web development and graphics design, hexadecimal is
commonly used to represent colors. Each color is typically represented by a six-digit
hexadecimal number, where each pair of digits represents the intensity of red, green,
and blue color components.
- Memory Addressing: Hexadecimal is used in memory addressing. It provides a
concise and human-readable representation of memory addresses in computer
systems.
Let's break down how the number 1000000 (one million) is stored in a computer,
focusing on a typical 32-bit integer representation:
1. **Data Representation**:
- In binary format, the number 1000000 is represented as `11110100001001000000`.
2. **Memory Allocation**:
- For a 32-bit integer, the computer allocates 4 bytes (32 bits) of memory to store the
number.
3. **Memory Addressing**:
- Let's say the computer assigns a memory address `0x0000` to represent the
beginning of a block of memory.
4. **Storage**:
- The binary representation `11110100001001000000` is written to the allocated
memory addresses, starting from the designated memory address.
- Each bit of the binary number occupies one memory location. So, in total, it occupies
4 bytes (32 bits) of memory.
5. **Data Retrieval**:
- When the number is needed, the computer accesses the memory location where it is
stored by referring to the assigned memory address (`0x0000` in this example).
6. **Data Usage**:
- Once retrieved, the number can be used in various computations, displayed on a
screen, printed, or otherwise processed according to the requirements of the software or
hardware involved.
This is a simplified explanation of how the number 1000000 might be stored in a
computer's memory as a 32-bit integer. In reality, the process can be more complex
depending on factors such as the computer architecture, the operating system, and the
programming language being used. Additionally, different data types and
representations (e.g., floating-point numbers) may have different storage requirements
and mechanisms.
Fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic. Representing numbers in a computer.
Fixed-point and floating-point arithmetic are two methods used for representing and
performing arithmetic operations on real numbers in a computer.
1. **Fixed-Point Arithmetic**:
- In fixed-point arithmetic, the position of the radix point (the point separating the
integer and fractional parts of a number) is fixed.
- Numbers are represented with a fixed number of digits for the integer and fractional
parts.
- Arithmetic operations on fixed-point numbers are typically performed using integer
arithmetic operations, but with careful consideration of the radix point position.
- Fixed-point arithmetic is suitable for applications where precision is important and the
range of values is known in advance.
- Examples of fixed-point representations include representing monetary values, sensor
readings, or measurements where precision and scale are well-defined.
2. **Floating-Point Arithmetic**:
- In floating-point arithmetic, the position of the radix point is not fixed; instead, it
"floats" depending on the magnitude of the number being represented.
- Numbers are represented as a sign bit, a significand (also called mantissa), and an
exponent. The significand represents the digits of the number, and the exponent
indicates the position of the radix point.
- Floating-point numbers can represent a wide range of values with varying precision.
- Arithmetic operations on floating-point numbers are performed using specialized
hardware or software routines designed to handle the complexities of floating-point
arithmetic, such as rounding errors and overflow/underflow conditions.
- Floating-point arithmetic is commonly used in scientific computing, engineering, and
other applications where a wide range of values and varying precision are required.
**Representing Numbers in a Computer**:
- In a computer, numbers are represented using binary digits (bits).
- Integers are typically represented using fixed-width binary representations (e.g., 8-bit,
16-bit, 32-bit, or 64-bit integers).
- Floating-point numbers are represented using standardized formats such as IEEE 754,
which defines formats for single precision (32-bit) and double precision (64-bit) floating-
point numbers.
- In both fixed-point and floating-point representations, the number of bits allocated for
representing numbers determines the precision and range of values that can be
represented.
- The computer hardware and software use algorithms and instructions specific to the
chosen representation to perform arithmetic operations on numbers efficiently and
accurately.
