NUMBER SYSTEMS & BINARY ARITHMETIC

Class: Comp. Sc & ICT A/L By NDANG GEORGE

By:

Since the early days of human civilization, people have been using their fingers, sticks and other things
for counting. As daily activities became more complex, the numbers became more important in trade,
time and distance, and in all other spheres of human life. It became apparent that we needed more than
our fingers and toes to keep track of the number in our daily routine. In 3400 BC, the ancient Egyptians
started using special symbols for writing the numbers. This was a major advancement, because it
reduced the number of symbols required. However, it was difficult to represent large or small numbers
by using such a graphical approach.

Learning objectives
After studying this lesson, student should be able to:

• Recognize different types of number systems as they relate to computers.

• Identify and define unit, number, base/radix, positional notation, and most and least significant
digits as they relate to decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems.
• Add and subtract in binary, octal, and hexadecimal number systems.
• Convert values from decimal, binary, octal, hexadecimal, and binary-code decimal number
systems to each other and back to the other systems.
• Add in binary-coded decimal.
Contents

I. DEFINITIONS.......................................................................................................................... 2

II. TYPES OF NUMBER SYSTEM ............................................................................................... 2

III. CONVERSION BETWEEN NUMBER BASES ....................................................................... 3

IV. ARITHMETIC OPERATIONS IN NUMBER SYSTEMS ........................................................ 8

V. REPRESENTATION OF NEGATIVE BINARY NUMBER .................................................... 9

VI. ADDITION—SUBTRACTION OF SIGNED NUMBERS USING 2S COMPLEMENT ADDITION

VII BINARY CODING SCHEME………………………………………………………17

EXERCISES……………………………………………………………………………20
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

I. DEFINITIONS

A number system defines a set of values that is used to represent quantity. The number systems can be
classified into two broad categories as follows:
-
Nonpositional Number Systems: In ancient times, people used to count on their fingers. When
the fingers became insufficient for counting, stones, pebbles or sticks were used to indicate the

values. This method of counting is called the nonpositional number system.
-
Positional Number Systems: In positional number systems, the value of each digit in a number is
defined not only by the symbol, but also by the symbol's position. Positional number systems are
characterized by the base or radix. The positional number system, which is currently used, is called the

decimal number system. This system is a base 10 system, that is, it contains 10 digits (0, 1, 2, 3 ...8, 9).
The base tells the number of symbols used in the system. Radix of the system is always expressed in
decimal numbers .Then the system of base n will use digits from 0 to n-1. E.g. the base or radix of the
decimal system is 10. This implies that there are 10 symbols: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. Base 3 uses the
digits 0, 1 and 2. Base 6 uses the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5.
The base of a number system is indicated by a subscript (decimal number) and this will be followed by
the value of the number. The following are few examples:
(7592)10 is of base 10 number system. - (214)8 is of base 8 number system. - (123)16 is of base 16 number system

II- TYPES OF NUMBER SYSTEM

Apart from the decimal number system, there are some other positional number systems. Eventually,
the number systems that are generally used by the computers are as follows:
• Decimal number system radix of 2
• Binary number system radix of 2
• Octal number system radix of 2
• Hexadecimal number system radix of 2
However, the principles, which are applied to the decimal number system, are also applicable for the other
positional number systems.
Number System Radix Value Set of Digits Example
Decimal r = 10 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 (25)10
Binary r=2 0, 1 (11001)2
Octal r=8 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (31)8
Hexadecimal r = 16 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E, F (19)16

III.1 Decimal Number System

The primary number system used is a base 10 number system or decimal number system, which we use every
day while counting. This number system includes 10 digits from 0 to 9. Each digit in a base 10 number system
represents units, which are ten times the units of the digit to its right.
Example:
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

III.2 Binary Number System

The computers do not use the 10 digits of the decimal system for counting and arithmetic operations. Their
CPU and memory are made up of millions of tiny switches that can be either in the ON or OFF states. Two
digits, 0 and 1, are used to refer for the two states of ON and OFF, respectively. In the binary number system
th th n−1
with base 2, the weight of n bit of the number from the right-hand side (RHS) is n bit × 2 .
The problem with the binary system is that it takes a large number of digits to represent numerical values. This
system is not efficient in representing fractional values. It cannot represent these values accurately and needs
many digits to even come close to approximation

III.3 Octal Number System

The octal or base 8 number system is commonly used in computers. The octal number system, with its
eight digits, '0', '1', '2', '3', '4', '5', '6' and '7', is a base 8 system.

III.4 Hexadecimal Number System

Hexadecimal is another number system that works exactly like the decimal and binary number systems, except
that the base is 16. Similar to the decimal number that represents a power of 10, each hexadecimal number
represents a power of 16. To represent the decimal numbers, this system uses numbers from 0 to 9 and
characters from A to F to represent numbers from 10 to 15, respectively
Decimal Binary Octal Hexadecimal
1 0001 1 1
2 0010 2 2
3 0011 3 3
4 0100 4 4
5 0101 5 5
6 0110 6 6
7 0111 7 7
8 1000 10 8
9 1001 11 9
10 1010 12 A
11 1011 13 B
12 1100 14 C
13 1101 15 D
14 1110 16 E
15 1111 17 F

III. CONVERSION BETWEEN NUMBER BASES

We have discussed earlier that internally the computer uses binary numbers for data representation, whereas
externally it uses decimal numbers. However, any number in one number system can be represented in any
other number system. Conversion between number systems can be classified into three types: Coding,
decoding and encoding.

III.1. Coding
Coding is the conversion from decimal base (base 10) to any non-decimal base b (≠ 10).
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

IV.1.1 Coding of whole numbers

The method used for the conversion of a decimal number to a non-decimal base b is often called the
remainder method. This method involves the following steps:
1. Begin by dividing the decimal number by b (the base of the number).
2. Note the remainder separately as the rightmost digit of the equivalent.
3. Continually repeat the process of dividing by b until the quotient is zero and keep writing
the remainders after each step of division (these remainders will less than b).
4. Finally, when no more division can occur, write down the remainders in the reverse order
(last remainder written first).

Examples: a) Determine the binary equivalent of (36)10. b) Convert (671)10 into base 6, then in Base 16

III.1.2 Conversion of Decimal Fractions

Examples: a) Determine the binary equivalent of (0.375)10.

0.375 x 2 = 0.750 0
0.75 x 2 = 1.50 1
0.5 x 2 = 1.0 1
Finally, (0.375)10 = (0.011)2

b) Determine hexadecimal conversion of (671.175)10

We have already noticed in the previous question that (671)10 = (29F)16. Now let convert (0.175)10 in base 16

0.175 x 16 = 2.8 2
0.8 x 16 = 12.8 C
0.8 x 16 = 12.8 C
....
Finally, (671.175)10 = (29F.2CCC...)16

III. 2. Decoding
To decode is convert from a non-decimal base b ( ≠ 10) to the decimal base (base 10).

III.2.1 Conversion of whole numbers

In this case, each digit of the binary number is multiplied by its weighted position, and each of the weighted
values is added together to get the decimal number.
The Process: Above each of the digits in your number, list the power of the base that the digit represents. It is
now a simple process of multiplication and addition to determine your base 10 number.
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

Examples: a) Convert 2358 into base 10.

0 Now simply add these values together.
5x8 =5 5 + 24 + 128 = 157
1
3 x 8 = 24 Answer: 2358 = 15710
2
2 x 8 = 128

b) Convert 10112 to base 10.

0
1x2 =1 1 + 2 + 0 + 8 = 11
1
1x2 =2 Answer: 10112 = 1110
2
0x2 =0
3
1x2 =8

c) Convert 1C416 to base 10.

0
4 x 16 = 4 4 + 192 + 256 = 452
1 1
C x 16 = 12 x 16 = Answer: 1C416 = 45210
2
192 1 x 16 = 256

II.2.2 Conversion of non-decimal fractions to decimal fraction

The conversion of fractions is similar to the decimal numbers. The only difference is the negative exponents,
which are used to denote the negative powers of b. Here, instead of a 'decimal' point we have a 'binary' point.
The exponential expressions of each fractional placeholder are b-1, b-2, and in this way the exponent notation
proceeds. The steps involved in the conversion process are as follows:
1. Write the weight value of each bit of the non decimal fractional number.
2. Multiply the weighted position with the respective bit of the non decimal fractional number.
3. Add all the weighted values to get the decimal number.

Examples: Determine the decimal equivalent of (0.01101)2

Thus, the decimal equivalent of (0.01101)2 is (0.40625)10.

b) Determine the decimal equivalent of (237.04)8.

Sum of weight of all bits = 128 + 24 + 7 + 0 + 0.0625 = 159.0625 Thus, (237.04)8 = (159.0625)16
Determine the decimal equivalent of (45C.8BE3)16.

Sum of weight of all bits = 1024 + 80 + 12 +0.5 + .0429687 + .0034179 + .0000457= 1116.5464323
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

III.3. Encoding
Encoding is the conversion from a non-decimal base to a non-decimal base. Some special cases would be
distinguished.
III.3.1 Conversion of Binary to Hexadecimal

The conversion of an integer binary number to hexadecimal is accomplished by the following steps:
1. Break the binary number into four-bit sections starting from the LSB to the MSB.
2. Convert the four-bit binary number to its hexadecimal equivalent.
For whole numbers, it may be necessary to add a zero to the MSB to complete a grouping of four bits.
NOTE: By adding a zero, the MSB will not change the value of the binary number.
Examples: a) Determine the hexadecimal equivalent of (101011110011011001)2

The hexadecimal equivalent of (101011110011011001)2 is (2BCD9)16.

b) Determine the hexadecimal equivalent of (1100001.101011110011)2.

The hexadecimal equivalent of (1100001.101011110011)2 is (61.AF3)16.

III.3.2 Conversion of Hexadecimal to Binary

Converting a hexadecimal (base 16) number to a binary (base 2) number is a precise process. Since a
single digit in a hexadecimal number corresponds directly to a four-digit binary number, to convert
the hexadecimal number into its binary equivalent, the following steps are involved:
1. Convert each hexadecimal digit to its four-bit binary equivalent.
2. Combine the four-bit sections by removing the spaces to get the binary number.
Examples: Determine the binary equivalent of (5AF)16

Combining the four bits of the binary-coded values, we have 010110101111.

Thus, the binary equivalent of (5AF)16 is (010110101111)2.

b) Determine the binary equivalent of (2B.6C)16.

Combining the four bits of the binary-coded values, we have 00101011.01101100.

Thus, the binary equivalent of (2B.6C)16 is (00101011.01101100)

 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

III.3.3 Conversion of Octal to Hexadecimal

Octal and hexadecimal have certain relations with binary, that is, the first digit in octal corresponds to the first
three digits in its binary equivalent and so on. The same is true for hexadecimal and this time each digit
represents four binary digits. This makes the conversion of octal to hexadecimal and vice versa quite easy. This
conversion involves the following steps:
1. Convert each octal digit to three-bit binary form.
2. Combine all the three-bit binary numbers.
3. Divide the binary numbers into the four-bit binary form by starting the first number
from the right bit to the first number from the left bit.
4. Finally, convert these four-bit blocks into their respective hexadecimal symbols

Examples: a) Determine the hexadecimal equivalent of (2327)8.

Combining the three-bit binary blocks, we have 010011010111.

Dividing the group of binary numbers into the four-bit binary blocks and by converting these
blocks into their respective hexadecimal symbols, we have:

Thus, the hexadecimal equivalent of (2327)8 is (4D7)16.

b) Determine the hexadecimal equivalent of (31.57)8.

Combining the three-bit binary blocks, we have 011001.101111.

Dividing the group of binary numbers into the four-bit binary blocks and by converting these blocks into
their respective hexadecimal symbols, we have:

Thus, the hexadecimal equivalent of (31.57)8 is (19.BC)16.

III.3.4 Conversion of Hexadecimal to Octal

This conversion follows the same steps of octal to hexadecimal conversion except that each hexadecimal digit
is converted into a four-bit binary form and then after grouping of all the four bit binary blocks, it is converted
into the three-bit binary form. Finally, these three-bit binary forms are converted into octal symbols.

Examples: a) Determine the octal equivalent of (5DE247)16.

 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

Combining all the four-bit binary blocks, we have 010111011110001001000111.

Dividing the group of binary numbers into the three-bit binary blocks and by converting these blocks into
their respective octal symbols, we have:

Thus, the octal equivalent of (5DE247)16 is (27361107)8.

b) Determine the octal equivalent of (7B.64D)16.

Combining all the four-bit binary blocks, we have 01111011.011001001101.

Dividing the group of binary numbers into the three-bit binary blocks and by converting these blocks
into their respective octal symbols, we have:

Thus, the hexadecimal equivalent of (7B.64D)16 is (173.3115)8

IV. ARITHMETRIC OPERATIONS ON NUMBER SYSTEMS

The arithmetic operations - addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, performed on the binary numbers
is called binary arithmetic

IV.1 Binary addition

• 0+0=0
• 0+1=1
• 1+0=1
• 1 + 1 = 0, and carry 1 to the next more significant bit
Examples,

a) 00011010+ 00001100 = 00100110 b) 00010011 + 00111110 = 01010001

11 carries 11111 carries

0 0 0 1 1 0 10 = (26)10 00010011 = (19)10
+0 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 = (12)10 +0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 = (62)10
0 0 1 0 0 1 10 = (38)10 01010001 = (81)10
IV.2 Binary Subtraction

Rules of Binary Subtraction

0‐0=0
0 ‐ 1 = 1, and borrow 1 from the next more significant bit
1‐0=1
1‐1=0
Examples,
a) 00100101 ‐ 00010001 = 00010100 b) 00110011 ‐ 00010110 = 00011101
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

1 borrows 11 borrows
00100101 = (37)10 00110011 = (51)10
‐ 00010001 = (17)10 ‐ 00010110 = (22)10
00010100 = (20)10 00011101 = (29)10

IV.3 Binary Multiplication

The multiplication process for binary numbers is similar to that for decimal numbers. Partial products are
formed, with each product shifted one place to the left. This is illustrated below.
Rules of Binary Multiplication

Example, a) 111 x 101 b) 101001 × 110 = 11110110

101001 = (41)10
× 110 = (6)10
000000
101001
101001
11110110 = (246)10

IV.4 Binary division

Binary division follows a similar process to that of decimal division.
Example: Divide (a) (15)10by (5)10 in binary form, and (b) (15)10 by (6)10 in binary form.

V.5 Operation in octal and hexadecimal

For the other bases, the process is the same. The following table below shows those various operations in
different basis
Octal addition octal multiplication (Base 8)

x 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

2 2 4 6 10 12 14 16

3 3 6 11 14 17 22 25

4 4 10 14 20 24 30 34

5 5 12 17 24 31 36 43

6 6 14 22 30 36 44 52
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

Hexadecimal Addition Table

+ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13

4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14

5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15

6 7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

7 8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17

8 9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18

9 A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

A B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A

B C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B

C D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C

D E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D

E F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E
F 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F

Hexadecimal Multiplication Table

* 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
0 00 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 01 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 A B C D E F
2 02 4 6 8 A C E 10 12 14 16 18 1A 1C 1E
3 03 6 9 C F 12 15 18 1B 1E 21 24 27 2A 2D
4 04 8 C 10 14 18 1C 20 24 28 2C 30 34 38 3C
5 05 A F 14 19 1E 23 28 2D 32 37 3C 41 46 4B
6 0 6 C 12 18 1E 24 2A 30 36 3C 42 48 4E 54 5A
7 07 E 15 1C 23 2A 31 38 3F 46 4D 54 5B 62 69
8 0 8 10 18 20 28 30 38 40 48 50 58 60 68 70 78
9 0 9 12 1B 24 2D 36 3F 48 51 5A 63 6C 75 7E 87
A 0 A 14 1E 28 32 3C 46 50 5A 64 6E 78 82 8C 96
B 0 B 16 21 2C 37 42 4D 58 63 6E 79 84 8F 9A A5
C 0 C 18 24 30 3C 48 54 60 6C 78 84 90 9C A8 B4
D 0 D 1A 27 34 41 4E 5B 68 75 82 8F 9C A9 B6 C3
E 0 E 1C 2A 38 46 54 62 70 7E 8C 9A A8 B6 C4 D2
F 0 F 1E 2D 3C 4B 5A 69 78 87 96 A5 B4 C3 D2 E1
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

V. REPRESENTATION OF NEGATIVE BINARY NUMBER

We have just seen how to carry out arithmetic operations on positive numbers. We are going to see here
different ways of representing negative numbers in binary. Usually a given computer uses a fixed number of
bits for storing integers. So we use terms such as 8-bits integer, 16-bits integers, ... Whatever the principle
remains the same, the only difference is that with more bits, we can store wider range of number. In general,
n
with n bits, one can store 2 numbers.

V.1 Signed magnitude representation

In the sign magnitude representation, the sign of a binary number has to be represented using 0 and 1, in the
computer. An n-bit signed binary number consists of two parts – sign bit and magnitude. The left most bit,
also called the Most Significant Bit (MSB) is the sign bit. The remaining n-1 bits denote the magnitude of the
number.

The rules for signed and unsigned binary numbers are simple and are explained as follows:
• In an unsigned number, the MSB is a weighted position bit.
• In a signed number, the MSB (the sign bit) is 0 for a positive number.
• In a signed number, the MSB (the sign bit) is 1 for a negative number.
For example, 01100011 is a positive number since its sign bit is 0, and, 11001011 is a negative number since its
7 7
sign bit is 1. An 8-bit signed number can represent data in the range -128 to +127 (-2 to +2 -1). In general,
n-1 n-1
using n bits, the range of integer we can store using two’s complement is -2 to 2

V.2 Complements

The complement of a number is the number, which when added to the original will make it equal to a
multiple of the base number system. The complement of a number can be used as a representation of that
number as a negative and as a positive number that represents a negative. It is a method, which can be used
to make the subtraction easier for machines. Consequently, complements are used in the digital computers
for simplifying the subtraction operation and for the logical operation.

For every base r system, there are two types of complements: rs complement and (r – 1)s complement.
• For decimal r = 10, we have 9s and 10s complement.
• For binary r = 2, we have 1s and 2s complement.
• For octal r = 8, we have 7s and 8s complement.
• For hexadecimal r = 16, we have 15s and 16s complement.
There are two types of complements for the binary number system: 1’scomplement and
2’scomplement.
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

V.2.1 The 1s Complement

To form the negative of any number, first complement all the bits of that number. This result is known as the 1s
complement of the original number. This requires changing every logic 1 bit in a number to logic 0, and every
logic 0 bit to logic 1. For instance :
• 1’s complement of 110 is 001
• 1’s complement of 1011 is 0100
• 1’s complement of 1101111 is 0010000

V.2.2 The 2s Complement

The 2’s complement is the convention used in most of the computers to represent negative numbers. To obtain
the 2s complement of a number, there is a two-step process:
1. Take the 1s complement of the number by changing every logic 1 bit in the number to
logic 0 bit, and change every logic 0 bit to logic 1 bit.
2. Add 1 to the 1s complement of the binary number. Now, we have the 2s complement
of the original number. Here, we can notice that the MSB has become 1.
Taking the 2s complement of the number will cause the MSB to become 1. Using n bits, the range of integer we
n-1 n-1
can store using two’s complement is -2 to 2 -1
For instance : - 2’s complement of 110 is 001 + 1 = 010
• 2’s complement of 1011 is 0100 + 1 = 0101
• 2’s complement of 1101111 is 0010000 + 1 = 0010001

I.3 Binary Data Representation

A binary number may also have a binary point, in addition to the sign. The binary point is used for representing
fractions, integers and integer-fraction numbers. There are two ways of representing the position of the binary
point in the register - fixed point number representation and floating point number representation
• The fixed point number representation assumes that the binary point is fixed at one
position. The binary point is not actually present in the register, but its presence is assumed
based on whether the number which is stored is a fraction or an integer.
• The floating point number representation uses two registers. The first register stores the
number without the binary point. The second register stores a number that indicates the
position of the binary point in the first register.
We shall now discuss representation of data in the fixed point number representation and floating
point number representation.

I.3.1 Fixed Point Number Representation

The integer binary signed number is represented as follows:
• For a positive integer binary number, the sign bit is 0 and the magnitude is a positive binary
number.
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

• For a negative integer binary number, the sign bit is 1. The magnitude is
represented in any one of the three ways-
- 
Signed Magnitude representation -The magnitude is the positive binary number itself.
-
Signed 1’s complement representation- The magnitude is the 1‘s complement of the positive

binary number.
-
Signed 2’s complement representation- The magnitude is the 2‘s complement of the positive

binary number.
The table below shows the representation of the signed number 18.
+18 Sign bit is 0.
00010010
0010010 is binary equivalent of +18
Sign bit is 1.
Signed magnitude representation 10010010
0010010 is binary equivalent of +18
Sign bit is 1.
-18 Signed 1’s complement representation 11101101
1101101 is 1‘s complement of +18
Sign bit is 1.
Signed 2’s complement representation 11101110
1101110 is 2‘s complement of +18

Signed magnitude and signed 1‘s complement representation are seldom used in computer arithmetic.
Representation Comparison for 8-bit Binary Numbers

I.3.2 Floating Point Number Representation

We are familiar with the fact that any number can be written as a fraction multiplied by 10 to some power. For
3 -1
instance: 123 can be written as 0.123 x 10 - 0.0187 can be written as 0.187 x 10
2
-57.3 can be written as -0.573 x 10

In the first example we can identify

(a) A Sign (not shown explicitly since it is positive)
(b) A fractional part 0.123 (called the mantissa)
(c) The base 10
(d) An exponent,
We can identify similar components fo3r the other two examples. Note that all the examples have the common
base, 10, thus if the base is understood, we can represent any number by specifying its sign, mantissa and
2
exponent. (-, 0.573, 2) refers to -0.573 x 10
The similar method is used for representing real numbers on a computer. The base varies from one machine to
another. But the common bases are 2, 10 and 16. In order to keep things simple, we assume that 8 bits are to be
used to store a floating point number, and that the base 2 is understood. Let‘s then assume the following:
- 1 bit for the sign (0 for positive, 1 for negative)
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

- 4 for the mantissa

- 3 for the exponent
Our floating number representation should have the following format
S E M

We will note the following

- The sign bit is 0 for a positive number and 1 for a negative number
- The mantissa is to be treated as a binary fraction, where the binary point is assumed to be placed
immediately in front of the leftmost bit. Thus the mantissa 1001 is taken to mean the binary fraction
0.1001
- The exponent is stored using ‗sign and magnitude‘. With 3 bits the range of exponent is -3 to +3. -3
is stored as 111 and +3 is stored as 011
Examples: 1) What floating number is represented by 001011010

- The sign is positive - The mantissa is 1010 represented the number 0.1010 - The exponent is 010 which
represent 2
2
Therefore the number represented is 0.1010 x2 = (10.10)2 = (2.5)10

(2) What is the binary representation of (-2.75)10

2
(2.75)10 = (10.11)2 = (0.1011)2 x 2
- The sign is negative, hence 1
- The exponent is two, 010
- The mantissa is 1011
The representation of the number is then: 10101011

Features of the floating point representation

(a) A zero is represented by 0 000 0000

(b) The smallest positive number is represented by 0 111 0001. The value represented is
(0.0001)2 x 2-3 = (0.0000001)2 = 1281= (0.0078125) 10
(c) The largest positive number is represented by 0 011 1111. The value represented is
(0.1111)2 x 23 = (111.1)2 = (7.5)10
(d) The range of numbers which can be represented is -7.5 to +7.5

VI- ADDITION—SUBTRACTION OF SIGNED NUMBERS USING 2S COMPLEMENT

ADDITION
The addition of signed binary numbers represented in the radix complement form is similar to the unsigned
case. However, when the 2s complement of a number is added to any other binary number, it will be equivalent
to its subtraction from that number. As a result, subtraction of the signed numbers by 2s complement method is
performed by using the following steps:
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

1. Convert both the numbers into the binary equivalent form.

2. Find the 2s complement form of the number, which is subtracting, that is, subtrahend.
3. Add this 2s complement number to the minuend.
4. If there is carry of 1, ignore it from the result to obtain the correct result.
5. If there is no carry, re-complement the result and attach the negative sign to the obtained
result.

Note that the negative output is automatically in the 2‘s complement form. We get the decimal equivalent of the
negative output number, by finding its 2‘s complement, and attaching a negative sign to the obtained result.
Let‘s understand the addition of two signed binary numbers with the help of some examples.

Example 1: Add (27)10 and (−11)10 using complementary representation for the negative value.

Binary form of (27)10 = (011011)2 and of (11)10 = (001011)2

Get the 2s complement of (001011) = 1s complement of (001011) + 1
= 110100 + 1
= 110101

Add (011011)2 and (110101)2

Hence, the result is (010000)2 or (16)10.

Example 2 Add (-5)10 and (-10)10 using 2‘s complement.

• We represent -5 in 2‘s complement form, i.e., 1111 1011.
• We represent -10 in 2‘s complement form, i.e., 1111 0110.
• Add the two numbers. The result is 1111 0001. The result is in 2‘s complement form.

To find the decimal equivalent of the result 1111 0001- Find the 2‘s complement of 1111 0001, i.e., 0000 1110
+ 1 = 0000 1111. This is binary equivalent of +15. Attaching a negative sign to the obtained result gives us -15.

V.2.3 Subtraction using 1’s and 2’s complements

Here we do subtraction using addition! We use the signed 1’s or 2’s complement representation to represent
the negative numbers. The subtraction here is just supposed to be an addition of a positive number and a
negative number. Then:
• (-A) – (+B) = (-A) + (-B) (+B in subtraction is changed to –B in addition)
• (+A) – (+B) = (+A) + (-B) (+B in subtraction is changed to –B in addition)
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

• (-A) – (-B) = (-A) + (+B) (-B in subtraction is changed to +B in addition)

• (+A) – (-B) = (+A) + (+B) (-B in subtraction is changed to +B in addition)

To carry out subtraction using complement method, follow these steps:

• take the "complement" of the number we are subtracting (we will see how soon)
• add it to the number we are subtracting from
• discard the extra "1" on the left
If a carry out occurs,
- Add it to the result in case of 1’s complement
- Discard the carry out bit in case of 2’s complement

Examples
With 2’s complement With 1’s complement

1. Add −8 to +3 3. Add −8 to +3
(+3) 0000 0011 (+3) 0000 0011
+(−8) 1111 1000 +(−8) 1111 0111
----------------- --------------------------
(−5) 1111 1011 (−5) 1111 1010

2. Add −5 to −2 4. Add −5 to −2
(−2) 1111 1110 (−2) 1111 1101
+(−5) 1111 1011 +(−5) 1111 1010
----------------- --------------------------
(−7) 1 1111 1001 : discard carry-out 1 1111 0111
+(1) 1: Add carry-out
----------------------------
(−7) 1111 1000

V.2.4 Notion of Overflow

If the result of an arithmetic operation is to too large (positive or negative) to fit into the resultant bit-group, then
arithmetic overflow occurs. In general, overflow occurs when adding two positive numbers produces a negative
result, or when adding two negative numbers produces a positive result. Adding operands of unlike signs never
produces an overflow. Notice that discarding the carry out of the most significant bit during Two's Complement
addition is a normal occurrence, and does not by itself indicate overflow
As an example of overflow, consider adding (80 + 80 = 160)10, which produces a result of − 9610 in 8-bit two's
complement:
01010000 = 80
+ 01010000 = 80
--------------
10100000 = −96 (not 160 because the sign bit is 1.) (largest +ve number in 8 bits is 127)
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

VI. BINARY CODING SCHEME

The alphabetic, numeric, alphanumeric, sound, video, and symbols data, all are represented as combination of
bits in the computer. A code is made by combining bits of definite size. Binary Coding schemes represent the
data such as alphabets, digits 0-9, and symbols in a standard code. A combination of bits represents a unique
symbol in the data. The standard code enables any programmer to use the same combination of bits to represent
a symbol in the data. The binary coding schemes that are most commonly used are
• Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)
• American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)
• Extended Binary-coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC)
• Unicode

VI.1 Binary Coded Decimal (BCD)

Binary Coded Decimal (BCD) is a method of using binary digits to represent the decimal digits 0–9. A
decimal digit is represented by four binary digits. The BCD coding is the binary equivalent of the decimal digit.
BCD system was developed by the IBM (International Business Machines) corporation. In this system, each
digit of a number is converted into its binary equivalent rather than converting the entire decimal number to its
binary form. Similarly, letters and special characters can be coded in the binary form.
Let us determine the BCD value for the decimal number 5319. Since there are four digits in the decimal
number, there are four bytes in the BCD number. They are:

Binary code decimal digits (0–9) are represented by using four bits. The valid combinations of y and
their respective values are shown in the table below.

Table. Binary-coded Decimal

To represent the signs + and -, any of the remaining 4 bits patterns can be used. One convention uses 1010 for
+ and 1011 for -. You can see that in one byte we can have either 2 digits or a sign and one digit. Here we must
use the full 4-bits representation of any digit (including the leading 0s). Thus the BCD representation of 5319 is
0101001100011001 and not 101001100011001

VI.2 Extended Binary-coded Decimal Interchange Code (EBCDIC)

 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

EBCDIC is an acronym for Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code, Invented by IBM. It is a
single byte (8 bit) character encoding standard that is used in the IBM mainframe environment. IBM didn't
invent just one version of EBCDIC either but several different incompatible versions. The computing
friendly and user friendly thing would have been to use the already in existence ASCII standard.
• The Extended Binary Coded Decimal Interchange Code(EBCDIC) uses 8 bits (4 bits for zone,
4 bits for digit) to represent a symbol in the data.
8
• EBCDIC allows 2 = 256 combinations of bits.

• 256 unique symbols are represented using EBCDIC code. It represents decimal numbers (0-9),
lower case letters (a-z), uppercase letters (A-Z), Special characters, and Control characters
(printable and non-printable e.g. for cursor movement, printer vertical spacing etc.).
• EBCDIC codes are used, mainly, in the mainframe computers.

VI.3 American Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII)

The name ASCII is an acronym for: American Standard Code for Information Interchange. It is a
character encoding standard developed several decades ago to provide a standard way for digital machines
to encode characters. ASCII codes are of two types: ASCII-7 & ASCII-8.
• ASCII-7is a 7-bit standard ASCII code. In ASCII-7, the first 3 bits are the zone bits and the next 4 bits are for
7
the digits. ASCII-7 allows 2 = 128 combinations. 128 unique symbols are represented using ASCII-7.
• ASCII-8 is an extended version of ASCII-7. It is an 8-bit code having 4 bits for zone and 4 bits for the
8
digit. ASCII-8 allows 2 = 256 combinations. ASCII-8 represents 256 unique symbols. ASCII is used
widely to represent data in computers.
• The ASCII-8 code represents 256 symbols.
o Codes 0 to 31 represent control characters (non-printable), because they are used for
actions like, Carriage return (CR), Bell (BEL) etc.
o Codes 48 to 57 stand for numeric 0-9.
o Codes 65 to 90 stand for uppercase letters A-Z.
o Codes 97 to 122 stand for lowercase letters a-z.
o Codes 128-255 are the extended ASCII codes.

VI.4 Unicode
Unicode is a universal character encoding standard for the representation of text which includes letters,
32
numbers and symbols in multi-lingual environments. It uses 32 bits (2 = 4164895296 combinations) to
represent a symbol in the data. Unicode codes can uniquely represent any character or symbol present in any
language like Chinese, Japanese, included mathematical and scientific symbols are also represented in
Unicode codes. An advantage of Unicode is that it is compatible with the ASCII-8 codes. The first 256 codes
in Unicode are identical to the ASCII-8 codes.
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

EXERCISES
MCQ
1. Choose the correct answer from below for the result of the binary multiplication 1101 × 110.
(a) 1001111, (b) 1010110, (c) 1001110, (d) 1011111.

2. Choose the correct answer from below for the result of the binary division 11011 ÷ 1001.
(a) 10, (b) 101, (c) 11, (d) 110.

3. Which of the following is the binary product 1001 × 111?

(a) 110111 (b) 111111, (c) 111011, (d) 111110.

4. Which of the following is the binary product 1101 × 1011?

(a) 10101111, (b) 10001111, (c) 10101011, (d) 10111011.

5. Which of the following is the binary division 10101 ÷ 11?

(a) 100, (b) 110, (c) 101, (d) 111.

6. Which of the following is the binary division 100011 ÷ 1010?

(a) 10.1, (b) 11.11, (c) 11.01, (d) 11.1.

Exercise 1.
(a) Convert the binary number 1011 into decimal form.
(b) Convert the binary number 1.011 into decimal form.
(c) Convert the numbers 15 and 12 into binary form, add the two binary numbers together and
convert the answer to decimal form to check that the sum is correct.
(d) Convert the numbers 9 and 6 into binary form. Use this to find 9 − 6 in binary form. Check
that the answer is correct by converting the binary answer into decimal form.

Exercise 2.
In each of the questions below, a product is written in decimal form. In each case, convert both numbers to
binary form, multiply them in binary form and check that the solution is correct by converting the answer to
decimal form. (Click on the green letters for solutions.)
(a) 3 × 2, (b) 4 × 4, (c) 5 × 10, (d) 6 × 7, (e) 9 × 6, (f) 11 × 7

Exercise 3.
In each of the questions below, a division is written in decimal form. In each case, convert both numbers to
binary form, perform the division in binary form and check that the solution is correct by converting the answer
to decimal form. (Click on the green letters for solutions.)
(a) 6 ÷ 2, (b) 8 ÷ 2, (c) 9 ÷ 3, (d) 10 ÷ 4, (e) 21 ÷ 7, (f) 18 ÷ 8.
 Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS

Exercise 4. : Signed magnitude representation

1) Using Sign and magnitude, what range of integer can be stored using 6 bits, 8 bits, 16 bits.
2) Using 6 bits, give the sign and magnitude representation of 14, -15, 31, -17
3) Using 6 bits, give the two complement representation of: 15, -28, 31, -1
4) What is the BCD representation of (a) 215 (b) -215 (c) 2001
5) What numbers are represented by the following bit strings assume that when there is a sign, it is
represented by the first 4 bits with the convention 1010 for + and 1011 for -.
(a) 10101100100110111 (b) 10110011011110010100 (c) 1001100000000010 (d) 1010010101011011

Exercise 5: Floating Point representation

1) What is the smallest and the largest floating point value which may be represented using the representation described in
the note?
2) What floating point numbers are represented by
a) 1 001 1100 b) 1 100 0101 (c) 0 101 1100 d) 1 111 1111 e) 0 000 1000 f) 0 010 1110
3) Using the representation described in the note, give the floating point representation of each of the following.
State whether the representation is exact or not. If inexact calculate the error in the representation.
(a) 5.25 (b) 2.1875 (c) -4.5 (d) 7.35 (e) -3.3 (f) 6.256 (g) -7.7 (h) 1.115 (i) -3.75

4) Numbers are stored in an 8-bits byte of a computer in a normalized floating point representation as follow:
S M E

- S is the sign (0 for positive and 1 for negative)

- M is the mantissa with binary point assumed to be just before the leftmost bit
- E is the exponent (a power of two) stored as a two‘s complement integer
(a) What are the largest and the smallest positive value which may be represented?
(b) Give, in binary form, the best possible representation of the values 0.875 and -1.4, indicating the actual value stored in
each case.
(b) What is the smallest positive number which may be represented if the mantissa is allowed to be unnormalized

5) A certain computer uses 11-bits words for storing a floating point number:
- 1 bit represent the sign, S; 0 for positive and 1 for negative
- The exponent, E, is a 4-bits value, stored in 2‘s complement form
- The mantissa, M, is a 6-bits normalized value, with the binary point assumed to be just in front of the leftmost bit
Give the representation of : 0.3, 7.3 and 6.375, Stating the error in each representation.

(a) What is the lowest possible value for an 8-bit signed magnitude binary number?
(b) What is the highest possible value for a 10-bit 2's complement binary number?

Exercise 6: Addition and Substraction with 1s and 2’s complement

1. Convert each of the following decimal values to 8-bit 2's complement binary.
a) 5410 b) –4910 c) –12810 d) –6610 e) –9810
2. Convert each of the following 8-bit 2's complement binary numbers to decimal.
a) 100111012 b) 000101012 c) 111001102 d) 011010012
3.. Convert each of the following decimal values to 8-bit signed magnitude binary.
a) 5410 b) –4910 c) –12710 d) –6610 e) –9810

4. Convert each of the following 8-bit signed magnitude binary numbers to decimal.
a) 100111012 b) 000101012 c) 111001102 d) 011010012

5.. Using 1’s and 2’s complements perform the following subtractions
a. 100110 – 11011 c. 1101010 – 110100 b. 10011.1101 – 101.11 d. 1010 – 11011
6.
(a) What is the lowest possible value for an 8-bit signed magnitude binary number?
(b) What is the highest possible value for a 10-bit 2's complement binary number?

Exercise 7
Find the following differences using 2’s complement arithmetic. First convert decimal values to corresponding
binary values. Next, find the two’s complement representation of the subtrahend. Add the minuend and 2’s
complemented subtrahend. Check your answers.
a) 12 – 6 b) 4 – 6 c) 3.125 – 6.5 d) 67.25 – 83.125
Topic: NUMBER SYSTEM & BINARY MATHEMATICS