Objectives

• Learn why numbering systems are important to

understand
• Refresh your knowledge of powers of numbers
• Learn how numbering systems are used to count
• Understand the significance of positional value in a
numbering system
• Learn the differences and similarities between numbering
system bases

Connecting with Computer Science 2

 Objectives (continued)
• Learn how to convert numbers between bases

• Learn how to do binary and hexadecimal math

• Learn how data is represented as binary in the

computer

• Learn how images and sounds are stored in the

computer

Connecting with Computer Science 3

 Why You Need to Know About...
Numbering Systems
• Computers store programs and data in binary code
• Understanding of binary code is key to machine
• Binary number system is point of departure
• Hexadecimal number system
– Provides convenient representation
– Written into error messages
Connecting with Computer Science 4
Powers of Numbers - A Refresher
• Raising a number to a positive power (exponent)

– Self-multiply the number by the specified power

– Example: 23 = 2 * 2 * 2 = 8 (asterisk = multiplication)

– Special cases: 0 and 1 as powers

• Any number raised to 0 = 1; e.g, 10,5550 = 1.

• Any number raised to 1 = itself; e.g., 10,5551 = 10,555

Connecting with Computer Science 5
 Powers of Numbers -A Refresher
(continued)
• Raising a number to a negative power

– Follow same steps for positive power

– Divide result into 1; e.g., 2-3 = 1/ (23) = .125

Connecting with Computer Science 6

 Counting Things
• Numbers are used to count things

– Base 10 (decimal) most familiar

• The computer uses base 2, called binary

– Base 2 has two unique digits: 0 and 1

Connecting with Computer Science 7

 Counting Things (continued)
• Hexadecimal system used to represent binary digits

– Base 16 has sixteen unique digits: 0 – 9, A - F

• Counting for all number systems similar

– Count digits defined in number system until exhausted

– Place zero in ones column. Carry one to the left

Connecting with Computer Science 8

 Positional Value
• Weight assigned digit based on position in number
– Determine positional value of each digit by raising 10
to position within number
– Determine digit’s contribution to overall number by
multiplying digit by positional value
– Consider 5 in 3456.123 (radix = 10 = decimal point)
• Positional value = 101
• Overall contribution = 5 x 101 = 50

Connecting with Computer Science 9

Connecting with Computer Science 10
 Positional Value (continued)
• Number: sum of products of each digit and positional
value
– Example: 3456.123 = 3 x 103 + 4 x 102 + 5 x 101 + 6 x
100 + 1 x 10-1 + 2 x 10-2 + 3 x 10-3
• Numbers in all bases can be defined by position
– Base 2: Multiply each digit by 2 digit position
– Base 16: Multiply each digit by 16 digit position
– Base b: Multiply each digit by b digit position

Connecting with Computer Science 11

Connecting with Computer Science 12
 How Many Things Does
A Number Represent
• Number = sum of each digit x positional value
– Translate number of things to accord with base 10
– e.g.: 10012 is equivalent to nine things = (1 * 2 0) + (0 * 21)
+ (0 * 22) + (1 * 23)
• General procedure for evaluating numbers (any base)
1. Calculate the value for each position of the number by
raising the base value to the power of the position
2. Multiply positional value by digit in that position
3. Add each of the calculated values together

Connecting with Computer Science 13

 Converting Numbers
Between Bases
• Any quantity can be represented by some number
in any base
• Counting process similar for all bases
1. Count until highest digit for base reached
2. Add 1 to next higher position to left
3. Return 0 to current position
• Conversion is a map from one base to another
– Identities can be easily calculated
– Identities may also be obtained by table look-up
Connecting with Computer Science 14
Connecting with Computer Science 15
 Converting To Base 10
• Three methods:
1. Table look-up (more extensive than Table 4-1)
2. Calculator
3. Algorithm for evaluating number in any base
• Example: consider 169AE in base 16
– Identify base: 16
– Map positions to digits: 4 3 2 1 0
– Raise, multiply and add: 169AE = (1 x 164) + (6 x
163) + (9 x 162) + (10 x 161) + (14 x 160) = 92,590
Connecting with Computer Science 16
 Converting From Base 10
• Three methods:

1. Table look-up (more extensive than Table 4-1)

2. Calculator

Connecting with Computer Science 17

 Converting From Base 10
(continued)
3. Algorithm for converting from base 10
1. Divide the decimal number by the number of the target
base (for example, 2 or 16)
2. Write down the remainder
3. Divide the quotient of the prior division by the base
again
4. Write the remainder to the left of the last remainder
written
5. Repeat Steps 3 and 4 until the whole number result is 0

Connecting with Computer Science 18

 Converting From Base 10
(continued)
• Practice conversion algorithm: find hexadecimal
equivalent of decimal 45
– Divide 45 by 16 (base)
– Write down remainder D
– Divide 2 by 16
– Write down remainder 2 to the left of D (2D)
– Stop since reduced quotient = 0
– Check: 2D = (2 x 161) + (13 x 160) = 32 + 13 = 45
Connecting with Computer Science 19
Connecting with Computer Science 20
 Binary And Hexadecimal Math
• Procedure for adding numbers similar in all bases
– Difference lies in carry process
– Value of carry = value of base
– Example: 1011
+1101
11000
– Carry value for above = 102 = (1 x 101 + 0 x 100 ) = 210
• Procedure for subtraction, multiplication, and
division also similar
Connecting with Computer Science 21
Connecting with Computer Science 22
 Data Representation In Binary
• Binary values map to two-state transistors
• Bit: fundamental logical/physical unit (1/0 = on/off)
• Byte: grouping of eight bits (nibble = ½ byte)
• Word: collection of bytes (4 bytes is typical)
• Hexadecimal used as binary shorthand
– Relate each hexadecimal digit to 4-bit binary pattern
– Example: 1111 1010 1100 1110 =
F A C E (see Table 4-1)

Connecting with Computer Science 23

 Representing Whole Numbers
• Whole numbers stored in fixed number of bits
– 200410 stored as 16-bit integer 0000011111010100
• Signed numbers stored with two’s complement
– Left most bit reserved for sign (1 = neg and 0 = pos)
– If positive, store with leading zeroes to fit field
– If negative, perform two’s complement
• Reverse bit pattern
• Add 1 to number using binary addition

Connecting with Computer Science 24

Connecting with Computer Science 25
 Representing Fractional Numbers
• Computers store fractional numbers (neg and pos)
• Storage technique based on floating-point notation
– Example of floating point number: 1.345 E+5
– 1.345 = mantissa, E = exponent, + 5 moves decimal

• IEEE-754 specification uses binary mantissas and

exponents
• Implementation details part of advanced study
Connecting with Computer Science 26
 Representing Characters
• Computers store characters according to standards
• ASCII
– Represents characters with 7-bit pattern
– Provides for upper and lowercase English letters,
numeric characters, punctuation, special characters
– Accommodates 128 (27) different characters
• Globalization places upward pressure
– Extended ASCII: allows 8-bit patterns (256 total)
– Unicode: defined for 16 bit patterns (34,168 total)

Connecting with Computer Science 27

 Representing Images
• Screen image made up of small dots of colored light
– Dot called “pixel” (picture element), smallest unit
– Resolution: # pixels in each row and column
– Each pixel is stored in the computer as a binary pattern
• RGB encoding
– Red, blue, and green assigned to eight of 24 bits
– White represented with 1s, black with 0s
– Color is the amount of red, green, and blue specified in
each of the 8-bit sections

Connecting with Computer Science 28

 Representing Images (continued)
• Images, such as photos, stored with pixel-based
technologies

• Large image files can be compressed (JPG, GIF

formats)

• Moving images can also be compressed (MPEG,

MOV, WMV)

Connecting with Computer Science 29

 Representing Sounds
• Sound represented as waveform with
– Amplitude (volume) and
– Frequency (pitch)
• Computer samples sounds at fixed intervals
– Samples given a binary value according to amplitude
– # bits in each sample determines amplitude range
– For CD-quality audio
• Sound must be sampled over 44,000 times a second
• Samples must allow > 65,000 different amplitudes
Connecting with Computer Science 30
Connecting with Computer Science 31
 One Last Thought
• Binary code is the language of the machine

• Knowledge of base 2 and base 16 prerequisite to

knowledge of machine language

• Computer scientists are more effective with binary

and hexadecimal concepts

Connecting with Computer Science 32

 Summary
• Knowledge of alternative number systems essential

• Machine language based on binary system

• Hexadecimal used to represent binary numbers

• Power rule for numbers defines self-multiplication

• Any number can be represented in any base

Connecting with Computer Science 33

 Summary (continued)
• Positional value: weight based on digit position

• Counting processes similar for all bases

• Conversion between bases is one-to-one mapping

• Arithmetic defined for all bases

• Data representation: bits, nibbles, bytes, words

Connecting with Computer Science 34

 Summary (continued)
• Two’s complement: technique for storing signed
numbers
• Floating point notation: system used to represent
fractions and irrationals
• ASCII and Unicode: character set standards
• Image representation: based on binary pixel
• Sound representation: based on amplitude samples
Connecting with Computer Science 35