Programming for

Engineers

Number System
ICEN 200 – Spring 2018
Prof. Dola Saha
1
Types of Numbers
Ø Natural Numbers
§ The number 0 and any number obtained by repeatedly adding a count
of 1 to 0
Ø Negative Numbers
§ A value less than 0
Ø Integer
§ A natural number, the negative of a natural number, and 0.
§ So an integer number system is a system for ‘counting’ things in a
simple systematic way

2
Exponent Review
Ø An exponent (power) tells you how many times to multiply the base by
itself:
§ 21 = 2
§ 22 = 2 x 2 =4
§ 23 = 2 x 2 x 2 = 8

Ø 20 = 1 (ANY number raised to power 0 is 1)

Ø 1 / x2 = x -2

3
Decimal Number System
Ø How is a positive integer represented in decimal?
Ø Let’s analyze the decimal number 375:
375 = (3 x 100) + (7 x 10) + (5 x 1)
= (3 x 102) + (7 x 101) + (5 x 100)

Position weights 102 101 100

Number digits 3 7 5
5 x100 = 5 +
7 x101 = 70 +
3 x 102 = 300
375

4
Bits
Ø In a computer, information is stored using digital signals that translate
to binary numbers

Ø A single binary digit (0 or 1) is called a bit

§ A single bit can represent two possible states, on (1) or off (0)

Ø Combinations of bits are used to store values

5
Data Representation
Ø Data representation means encoding data into bits
§ Typically, multiple bits are used to represent the ‘code’ of each value
being represented

Ø Values being represented may be characters, numbers, images, audio

signals, and video signals.

Ø Although a different scheme is used to encode each type of data, in the

end the code is always a string of zeros and ones

6
Decimal to Binary
Ø So in a computer, the only possible digits we can use to encode data are
{0,1}

§ The numbering system that uses this set of digits is the base 2 system
(also called the Binary Numbering System)

Ø We can apply all the principles of the base 10 system to the base 2
system

Position weights 24 23 22 21 20
digits 1 0 1 1

7
Binary Numbering System
Ø How is a positive integer represented in binary?
Ø Let’s analyze the binary number 110:
110 = (1 x 22) + (1 x 21) + (0 x 20)
= (1 x 4) + (1 x 2) + (0 x 1)

Position weights 22 21 20
Number digits 1 1 0
0 x20 = 0 +
1 x21 = 2 +
1 x 22 = 4
6

Ø So a count of SIX is represented in binary as 110

8
Binary to Decimal Conversion

Example: Convert binary 100101 to decimal

(written 1 0 0 1 0 12 ) =
1*20 + 1+
0*21 +
1*22 + 4+
0*23 +
0*24 +
1*25 32
3710
9
Binary to Decimal Conversion

Example #2: 101112

positional powers of 2: 24 23 22 21 20
decimal positional value: 16 8 4 2 1
binary number: 1 0 1 1 1

16 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 2310

10
Binary to Decimal Conversion

Example #3: 1100102

positional powers of 2: 25 24 23 22 21 20
decimal positional value: 32 16 8 4 2 1
binary number: 1 1 0 0 1 0

32 + 16 + 2 = 5010

11
Decimal to Binary Conversion

Using the Division Method:

Divide decimal number by 2 until you reach zero, and then
collect the remainders in reverse.
Example 1: 2210 = 101102

2 ) 22 Rem:
2 ) 11 0
2 ) 5 1
2 ) 2 1
2 ) 1 0
0 1

12
Decimal to Binary Conversion

Using the Division Method

Example 2: 5610 = 111000
2

2 ) 56 Rem:
2 ) 28 0
2 ) 14 0
2 ) 7 0
2 ) 3 1
2 ) 1 1
0 1

13
Octal Number
Ø Base: 8
Ø Digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
n Octal number: 3578

= (3 x 82 ) + (5 x 81) + (7 x 80)

Ø To convert to base 10, beginning with the rightmost

digit, multiply each nth digit by 8(n-1), and add all of
the results together.

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Octal to Decimal Conversion
§ Example 1: 3578

positional powers of 8: 82 81 80
decimal positional value: 64 8 1
Octal number: 3 5 7

(3 x 64) + (5 x 8) + (7 x 1)

= 192 + 40 + 7 = 23910

15
Decimal to Octal Conversion
Using the Division Method:

Example 1: 21410 = 3268

8 ) 214 Rem:
8 ) 26 6
8) 3 2
0 3

16
Hexadecimal Number
Ø Base: 16

Ø Digits: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F

Ø Hexadecimal number: 1F416

= (1 x 162 ) + (F x 161) + (4 x 160)

17
Hex Values

Decimal Value Hexadecimal Digit

10 A
11 B
12 C
13 D
14 E
15 F

18
Hex to Decimal Conversion
Ø Example 1: 1F416

positional powers of 16: 163 162 161 160

decimal positional value: 4096 256 16 1

Hexadecimal number: 1 F 4

(1 x 256) + (F x 16) + (4 x 1)
= (1 x 256) + (15 x 16) + (4 x 1)

= 256 + 240 + 4 = 50010

19
Decimal to Hex Conversion

Using The Division Method:

Example 1: 12610 = 7E16

16) 126 Rem:

16) 7 14=E
0 7

20