Radix, sometimes referred to as the radix point, is a term used in computer science to refer to a mechanism used for representing and manipulating numerical values. It can also be referred to as a base, which is the maximum number of unique digits or values that can be represented in a given radix. Radiece numbers may be represented using a variety of base systems, including base-2 (binary), base-10 (decimal), and base-16 (hexadecimal). Radixes are commonly used in digital data representation, including machine language and instruction set architectures, and in text formats, such as ASCII and Unicode.
The most commonly used radix systems are based on powers of two, which are often referred to as “binary”. Binary numbers are represented using two digits (0 and 1), meaning that each character can represent two different values. Similarly, decimal numbers are represented using ten digits (from 0 to 9), meaning that each character can represent ten different values. Hexadecimal numbers, on the other hand, are represented using sixteen different digits (from 0 to F).
Radixes can be used to represent any numerical value, including fractions and negative numbers. However, it is not possible to represent a fractional value directly in any radix system, such as binary. Instead, fractions must be converted to an equivalent value in the base system in order to be accurately represented.
Radix systems are also used in computing to represent numerical constants and variables. These are usually referred to as literal values, which are numbers written directly in a programming language. As an example, the number 17 represented in binary would be written as 10001.
Overall, radixes are an important concept used in computing to represent and manipulate numerical values. By understanding various radix systems, programmers can effectively structure data and create programs that can represent and manipulate any numerical values.
