What are the 4 types of number system?

What are the 4 types of number system?

Aug 09, 2022, 16:45 IST

Number systems

Number systems are the technique to represent numbers in the computer system architecture, every value that you are saving or getting into/from computer memory has a defined number system.

Computer architecture supports following number systems.

1. Binary number system

2. Octal number system

3. Decimal number system

4. Hexadecimal (hex) number system

1. Binary System:

Whereas decimal system uses ten digits to record the number, the binary system uses only two digits (for recording the number) that is 0 and 1, and its base is 2 (whereas that of decimal system is 10). Although in everyday life, people generally use the decimal number system for counting, it is more convenient to use the binary number system in a computer because electronic components are usually in one of two states, which can be used to represent 0 and 1, the two digits used in the binary system.

To elaborate it further:

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The computer does not have a large number of symbols for representing data. It has only two, 0 and 1 (called binary digits or bits). These correspond to the two electronic or magnetic states used in computer circuits and storage.

For example if a punched paper tape is used in the computer, a hole in a tape may allow electrical contact to be made (ON) and the absence of a hole in the tape does not allow electrical contact to be made (OFF). Therefore a hole can represent 1 and no hole can represent 0. Binary system is more compact than the decimal system of coding as the latter will need large size of the storage medium and relative complexity of the reading device.