IB Computer Science Topic A1.2: Data Representation and Computer Logic Key Definitions

Binary is a base-2 number system, using only two digits: 0 and 1. Each digit in a binary number is called a bit (short for binary digit).

Computers store and process data as numbers, specifically in binary. Since modern computer architecture relies on transistors which are either On (1) or Off (0)

Hexadecimal is a base-16 number system, using 16 digits: 0–9 and A–F (where A = 10, B = 11, ..., F = 15).

A grid arrangement of a truth table whose row and column headings are written in Gray code, so that neighbouring cells differ in exactly one input. Grouping the adjacent 1s cancels the variables that change across a group and simplifies the output expression.

Logic diagrams are visual representations of how logic gates are connected and interact within a circuit.

Logic gates are the building blocks of digital circuits. They perform Boolean operations on one or more binary inputs to produce a single binary output.

A signed binary integer representation that uses the MSB to indicate 0 for + and 1 for - while the remaining place values indicate the number being represented.

A Boolean expression built by writing one AND term for every row of a truth table where the output is 1, then ORing those terms together. Every truth table has one, and it reproduces the table exactly but is rarely the simplest form.

Two's complement is a method for representing signed (positive, negative, and zero) binary numbers in computers. It's the most common way to represent integers in digital systems, enabling the use of the same hardware for both addition and subtraction operations.