Electrical Engineering › Section R · Digital concepts, number systems, and codes › Topic R.5

Complements and signed numbers

A register holds only bits, so negative numbers need a convention. This topic covers the 1's and 2's complements, the three ways of writing signed integers, the floating-point format for very large and small values, and how 2's complement lets one adder both add and subtract, with a test for overflow.

In this topic

  • The 1's complement
  • The 2's complement
  • Three signed-number forms
  • Reading a 2's complement number
  • Floating-point numbers
  • Adding signed numbers
  • Worked example: adding with a discarded carry
  • Worked example: subtraction by addition
  • Multiplying and dividing signed numbers
  • Common mistakes to avoid
  • Key takeaways

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