3.

BINARY CODES
3.1 THE NEED FOR BINARY REPRESENTATION

Binary representation is essential in computing due to its simplicity and compatibility with digital
electronic circuits. Here's why:

1. Simplicity of Implementation:

∙ On/Off States: Binary only uses two states: "0" and "1," which can be easily represented by the
presence or absence of an electrical signal.
∙ Transistor Logic: Transistors, the fundamental building blocks of digital circuits, are naturally
suited for binary operations. They can be used to perform logical operations like AND, OR, and
NOT.

2. Efficiency and Speed:

∙ Fast Processing: Binary operations are relatively simple and can be performed very quickly by
computers.
∙ Compact Storage: Binary data can be stored efficiently in a compact format, using a minimal
number of bits.

3. Standardization and Compatibility:

∙ Universal Language: Binary is a universal language understood by all computers, regardless of

their hardware or software.
∙ Data Exchange: Binary representation is essential for the exchange of data between different
devices and systems.

4. Mathematical Foundations:
∙ Boolean Algebra: Binary operations are based on Boolean algebra, a mathematical system that
provides the foundation for digital logic.

3.2 BINARY REPRESENTATION OF NUMBERS

Binary representation is the way data is stored and processed in computers. It uses a base-2 system,
meaning there are only two possible values: 0 and 1. These values are often represented by the
presence or absence of an electrical signal.

How data is represented ?

∙ Bits: Each individual 0 or 1 is called a bit.

∙ Bytes: Groups of eight bits are combined to form a byte. Bytes are the fundamental unit of data
storage in computers.
∙ Characters: Bytes can be used to represent characters, numbers, symbols, and other types of data.
For example, the letter "A" might be represented by the binary sequence 01000001. ∙ Numbers:
Numbers can be represented in binary using different systems, such as: o Unsigned integers:
Represent positive numbers only.
o Signed integers: Can represent both positive and negative numbers using techniques like two's
complement.
o Floating-point numbers: Represent real numbers with decimal points.

Examples of Binary Representation

∙ The number 10 in binary: 1010

∙ The letter "A" in ASCII: 01000001

Why Binary?

∙ Simplicity: Computers are built using electronic circuits that are naturally suited for binary
operations.
∙ Efficiency: Binary operations can be performed very quickly by computers.
∙ Standardization: Binary is a universal language understood by all computers, regardless of their
hardware or software.

Binary Representation of Numbers

Binary representation is a system of representing numbers using only two digits: 0 and 1. This system
is used in computers because they are built on electronic circuits that can only handle "on" (1) or "off"
(0) states.

Unsigned Integers

∙ Positive Numbers: Only represent positive numbers.

∙ Place Values: Each position in a binary number represents a power of 2. For example, the rightmost
position represents 2^0 (1), the next position represents 2^1 (2), and so on.
∙ Conversion: To convert a decimal number to binary, repeatedly divide the decimal number by 2
and keep the remainders. The remainders, read from bottom to top, form the binary representation.

Example: Convert 13 to binary:

∙ 13 / 2 = 6 remainder 1
∙ 6 / 2 = 3 remainder 0
∙ 3 / 2 = 1 remainder 1
∙ 1 / 2 = 0 remainder 1

Binary representation: 1101

Signed Integers

∙ Positive and Negative Numbers: Can represent both positive and negative numbers. ∙ Two's
Complement: A common method for representing signed integers is two's complement. To find the
two's complement of a number, invert all the bits and add 1.
 ∙ Conversion: To convert a negative decimal number to binary, first convert its absolute value to
binary and then find its two's complement.

Example: Convert -5 to binary:

1. Convert 5 to binary: 0101

2. Invert all bits: 1010
3. Add 1: 1011

Binary representation: 1011

Floating-Point Numbers

∙ Real Numbers: Represent real numbers with decimal points.

∙ IEEE 754: The most common standard for representing floating-point numbers is IEEE 754. It uses
a fixed number of bits to represent the sign, exponent, and mantissa of a number.

3.3 BINARY REPRESENTATION OF CHARACTERS

Characters are represented in computers using a specific encoding scheme that assigns a unique
numerical value to each character. This numerical value is then converted to binary for storage and
processing.

Common Encoding Schemes

∙ ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange): One of the oldest and most
widely used character encoding standards. It uses 7 bits to represent 128 characters, including letters,
numbers, punctuation marks, and control characters.

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∙ UTF-8: A variable-length encoding scheme that can represent characters from almost all languages
in the world. It is compatible with ASCII and can use 1, 2, 3, or 4 bytes to represent a character. ∙
UTF-16: Another variable-length encoding scheme that can represent characters from almost all
languages. It uses 2 or 4 bytes to represent a character.

How Characters Are Represented

1. Character Lookup: The character to be represented is looked up in the encoding scheme's table.
2. Numerical Value: The corresponding numerical value is found for the character. 3. Binary
Conversion: The numerical value is converted to binary.

Example:

∙ The letter "A" has an ASCII value of 65.

∙ 65 in binary is 01000001.

Therefore, the binary representation of the letter "A" in ASCII is 01000001.

n computing, characters are represented by binary codes in a system called ASCII (American Standard
Code for Information Interchange) or Unicode, depending on the encoding scheme used. Each
character is assigned a unique numerical code, which is then represented in binary form.

Here are a few examples:

∙ Character 'A'
o ASCII code: 65
o Binary representation: 01000001
∙ Character 'a'
o ASCII code: 97
o Binary representation: 01100001
∙ Character '0'
o ASCII code: 48
o Binary representation: 00110000
∙ Character ' ' (space)
o ASCII code: 32
o Binary representation: 00100000

These binary representations are typically 8 bits long (one byte), but in Unicode, especially with UTF-8
encoding, characters might use more than one byte depending on the character's code point.

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Discussion Questions
1. How did the invention of Morse code influence global communication, and
what are some of its modern-day applications or equivalents?"

2. How has Braille code transformed accessibility for individuals with visual
impairments, and what challenges and innovations exist today in expanding
its use in a digital world?"

3. In what ways does the binary system differ from other number systems like
decimal or hexadecimal, and why is binary particularly well-suited for
representing data in computers?"
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