signed binary encoding
nounUK /saɪnd ˈbaɪnəri ɪnˈkəʊdɪŋ/
US /saɪnd ˈbaɪnəri ɪnˈkoʊdɪŋ/
A way to write numbers in binary where one bit tells you if the number is positive or negative.
The computer uses signed binary encoding to store both positive and negative temperatures.
SYNONYMS
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A method where the leftmost bit is reserved as a sign bit, with 0 meaning positive and 1 meaning negative.
In signed binary encoding, 0101 is +5 and 1101 is -5.
3. Any scheme, such as two's complement or one's complement, for representing negative values in binary.
Modern processors rely on signed binary encoding to handle subtraction as addition.
4. The process of converting a signed decimal number into its binary form with an explicit sign indicator.
The lesson covered signed binary encoding before moving on to floating-point numbers.