Number Systems

Md.Monarul Islam Mithu

Department of CSE
Daffodil International University
Learning Objectives

In this lecture you will  Convert a number’s base

learn about:  Another base to decimal base
 Decimal base to another base
 Non-positional number system
 Some base to another base
 Positional number system
 Shortcut methods for converting
 Decimal number system  Binary to octal number
 Octal to binary number
 Binary number system
 Binary to hexadecimal number
 Octal number system  Hexadecimal to binary number

 Hexadecimal number system  Fractional numbers in binary

number system
Number Systems

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
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
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 number

Q. What number system is used by computer or any

digital devices? why??
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
 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
= 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 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

Example
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 Decimal
Number to a Number of
Another Base
Example:
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
Converting a Number of
Some Base to a Number of
Another Base

Example:
Converting a Number of
Some Base to a Number of
Another Base
Practise
 Covert the following number to particular base:

(=

(=(
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
Shortcut Method for Converting a
Binary Number to its Equivalent
Octal Number
Example:
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
an Octal Number to Its
Equivalent Binary Number
Example:
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
Shortcut Method for Converting
a Binary Number to its
Equivalent Hexadecimal Number
Example:
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
an Octal Number to Its
Equivalent Binary Number

Example:
Shortcut Method for
Converting a Binary Number to
its Equivalent Hexadecimal
Number
Example:
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
Shortcut Method for
Converting a Hexadecimal
Number to its Equivalent
Binary Number
 Example: 2AB16 = ?2

Step 1: Convert each hexadecimal digit to a 4 digit binary

number

216 = 210 = 00102

A16 = 1010 = 10102

B16 = 1110 = 10112

Step 2: Combine the binary groups

2AB16 = 0010 1010 1011

2 A B

Hence, 2AB16 = 0010101010112

Fractional Numbers
Fractional numbers are formed same way as
decimal number system
Formation of Fractional
Numbers in Binary Number
System

Example:
Formation of Fractional
Numbers in Octal Number
System

Example:
Key Words/Phrases

 Base Least Significant Digit (LSD)

 Binary number system Memory dump
 Binary point Most Significant Digit (MSD)
 Bit Non-positional number
 Decimal number system system
 Division-Remainder technique Number system
 Fractional numbers Octal number system
 Hexadecimal number system Positional number
system