What is number system?
Definition: A number system is defined as a writing system for expressing numbers (0,1,2,3,4….), that is, a mathematical notation for representing numbers of a given system (decimal, binary etc.), using digits or other symbols in a consistent manner.
- There are different number systems. The same sequence of symbols may represent different numbers in different numeral systems.
- The number the numeral represents is called its value. Not all number systems can represent all numbers that are considered in the modern days; for example, Roman numerals have no zero.
What are the types of number system?
There are multiple numeral systems defined and developed by birth and growth of different civilisations throughout history, for example, roman number system, Arabic numeral system, Egyptian, Hebrew, and many others.
Number system can also be classified by use of positional notation and further categorised by base.
|
Base |
Name |
Uses |
|
2 |
Binary |
Digital computing, imperial and customary volume |
|
4 |
Quaternary |
Data transmission, DNA bases and Hilbert curves; Chumashan languages, and Kharosthi numerals |
|
10 |
Decimal / Denary |
Most widely used by modern civilizations |
|
16 |
Hexadecimal |
Base16 encoding; compact notation for binary data; tonal system; ounce and pound |
There is multiple other number system but students generally only need to study decimal system and sometimes binary number system.
