Other Digital Representations

Abstract

Unsigned binary and two’s complement are the dominant ways we typically represent numbers inside our computers. It’s good to know that but important, too, to keep in mind exactly why: it’s a reflection of the state of the hardware that makes them the best choices for the moment. If you know this, and know some other ways to represent information as logic-1′s and logic-0′s, you can be prepared to design new representations to fit specific needs or to respond to a change in the underlying technological environment. Yes, at the end of the day, all the ways data of any sort is encoded as 1′s and 0′s is part and parcel of the design of the computer. These are not given from upon high—they are all within our ability to choose and reject based on the parameters of a given application.