Q. Describe the basic types of Number Systems?

Probably the largest stumbling block most beginning programmers encounter when attempting to learn assembly language is the common use of the binary and hexadecimal numbering systems. The Understanding of these numbering systems is important because their use simplifies other complex topics including Boolean algebra and logic design, signed numeric representation, character codes, and packed data.

This section can discusses several important concepts including the binary, decimal, and hexadecimal numbering systems, binary data organization (into bits, nibbles, bytes, words, and double words), signed and unsigned number systems, arithmetic, logical, shift, and rotate operations on binary values, bit fields and packed BCD (Binary Coded Decimal) data, and the ASCII (American Standard Code for Information Interchange) character set. This is a basic material and the remainder of this tutorial depends upon your understanding of these concepts. If you are before now familiar with these terms from other courses or study, you should at least skim this material before proceeding to the next chapter and If you are unfamiliar with this material, or only vaguely familiar with it, you should study it carefully before proceeding. Each of the material in this chapter is important! Do not skip over any material.

Most of modern computer systems don't represent numeric values using the decimal system. Instead, they typically use a binary or two's complement numbering system and to understand the limitations of computer arithmetic, you must understand how computers represent numbers.

Remember how mathematical operations are entered into a computer:

+ is used for addition

- is used for subtraction

* is used for multiplication

/ is used for division

^ is used to raise to a power

There are four number bases commonly used in programming. These are: