MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD

by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

NUMBER SYSTEMS
NUMBER SYSTEM

Two types of number systems are:

1. Non-positional number systems
2. Positional number systems

Non-positional Number Systems

Characteristics

• Use symbols such as I for 1, II for 2, III for 3, IIII

for 4, IIIII for 5, etc
• Each symbol represents the same value regardless
of its position in the number
• The symbols are simply added to find out the value
of a particular number
Difficulty

It is difficult to perform arithmetic with such a number system.

Positional Number Systems

Characteristics

• Use only a few symbols called digits

• These symbols represent different values depending
on the position they occupy in the number

The value of each digit is determined by:

1. The digit itself
2. The position of the digit in the number
3. The base of the number system

(base = total number of digits in the number system)

The maximum value of a single digit is always equal to one less than the value of
the base.

Decimal Number System

Characteristics

A positional number system

Has 10 symbols or digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Hence, its base = 10

The maximum value of a single digit is 9 (one less than the value of the base)

Each position of a digit represents a specific power of the base (10)

We use this number system in our day-to-day life

Example
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

258610 = (2 x 103) + (5 x 102) + (8 x 101) + (6 x 100)

= 2000 + 500 + 80 + 6

Binary Number System

Characteristics

A positional number system

Has only 2 symbols or digits (0 and 1). Hence its base = 2

The maximum value of a single digit is 1 (one less than the value of the base)

Each position of a digit represents a specific power of the base (2)

This number system is used in computers.

Example

101012 = (1 x 24) + (0 x 23) + (1 x 22) + (0 x 21) x (1 x 20)

= 16 + 0 + 4 + 0 + 1
= 2110

Representing Numbers in Different Number

Systems

In order to be specific about which number system we

are referring to, it is a common practice to indicate the
base as a subscript. Thus, we write:

101012 = 2110

Bit
• Bit stands for binary digit
• A bit in computer terminology means either a 0 or a 1
• A binary number consisting of n bits is called an n-bit

Octal Number System

Characteristics

A positional number system

Has total 8 symbols or digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). Hence, its base = 8

The maximum value of a single digit is 7 (one less

than the value of the base

Each position of a digit represents a specific power of the base (8)

• Since there are only 8 digits, 3 bits (23 = 8) are

sufficient to represent any octal number in binary

Example

20578 = (2 x 83) + (0 x 82) + (5 x 81) + (7 x 80)

= 1024 + 0 + 40 + 7
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

= 107110

Hexadecimal Number System

Characteristics

A positional number system

Has total 16 symbols or digits (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F). Hence

its base = 16

The symbols A, B, C, D, E and F represent the decimal values 10, 11, 12, 13, 14
and 15
respectively

The maximum value of a single of digit is 15 (one less than the value of the
base).

Each position of a digit represents a specific power of the base (16)

Since there are only 16 digits, 4 bits (24 = 16) are sufficient to represent any
hexadecimal number in binary

Example
1AF16 = (1 x 162) + (A x 161) + (F x 160)
= 1 x 256 + 10 x 16 + 15 x 1
= 256 + 160 + 15
= 43110

CONVERTING A NUMBER OF ANOTHER BASE TO A DECIMAL NUMBER

Method
Step 1: Determine the column (positional) value of each digit

Step 2: Multiply the obtained column values by the digits in the corresponding
columns

Step 3: Calculate the sum of these products

Converting a Number of Another Base to a Decimal Number

MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

CONVERTING A DECIMAL NUMBER TO A NUMBER OF ANOTHER BASE

Division-Remainder Method

Step 1: Divide the decimal number to be converted by the value of the new base

Step 2: Record the remainder from Step 1 as the rightmost digit (least significant digit) of
the new base number

Step 3: Divide the quotient of the previous divide by the new base

Step 4: Record the remainder from Step 3 as the next digit (to the left) of the new base
number

Repeat Steps 3 and 4, recording remainders from right to

left, until the quotient becomes zero in Step 3

Note that the last remainder thus obtained will be the most
significant digit (MSD) of the new base number

CONVERTING A NUMBER OF SOME BASE TO A NUMBER OF ANOTHER BASE

Method

Step 1: Convert the original number to a decimal number (base 10)

Step 2: Convert the decimal number so obtained to the new base number
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

SHORTCUT METHOD FOR CONVERTING A BINARY NUMBER

TO ITS EQUIVALENT OCTAL NUMBER

Method

Step 1: Divide the digits into groups of three starting

from the right

Step 2: Convert each group of three binary digits to

one octal digit using the method of binary to
decimal conversion
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

SHORTCUT METHOD FOR CONVERTING AN OCTAL

NUMBER TO ITS EQUIVALENT BINARY NUMBER

Method
Step 1: Convert each octal digit to a 3 digit binary
Number (the octal digits may be treated as
Decimal for this conversion)

Step 2: Combine all the resulting binary groups

(of 3 digits each) into a single binary
number

SHORTCUT METHOD FOR CONVERTING A BINARY

NUMBER TO ITS EQUIVALENT HEXADECIMAL NUMBER

Method
Step 1: Divide the binary digits into groups of four
starting from the right
Step 2: Combine each group of four binary digits to
one hexadecimal digit
MATHEMATICS IN THE MODERN WORLD
by Engr. Daniel Gracias V. Esquejo

Shortcut Method for Converting a Hexadecimal

Number to its Equivalent Binary Number

Method
Step 1: Convert the decimal equivalent of each
hexadecimal digit to a 4 digit binary
number

Step 2: Combine all the resulting binary groups

(of 4 digits each) in a single binary number