The binary number system is a method of representing numbers using only two symbols, typically 0 and 1. This system was explored by scholars such as Thomas Harriot and Gottfried Leibniz in the 16th and 17th centuries, but instances of binary-like systems have been traced back to ancient Egypt, China, and India. The binary system is fundamental to various arithmetic operations including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Representation and counting in binary systems involve sequences of bits. These sequences can also undergo mathematical operations, with specific procedures for multiplication, long division, and square root calculation. The binary system is critically important in computer[3] science and digital electronics, providing a simpler and more efficient alternative to decimal arithmetic. It forms the basis of computer programming[1] and is vital for digital media[2], internet[4] protocols, encryption, cybersecurity, and precise data storage and manipulation.
A binary number is a number expressed in the base-2 numeral system or binary numeral system, a method of mathematical expression which uses only two symbols: typically "0" (zero) and "1" (one).
The base-2 numeral system is a positional notation with a radix of 2. Each digit is referred to as a bit, or binary digit. Because of its straightforward implementation in digital electronic circuitry using logic gates, the binary system is used by almost all modern computers and computer-based devices, as a preferred system of use, over various other human techniques of communication, because of the simplicity of the language and the noise immunity in physical implementation.
Negative numbers are commonly represented in binary using two's complement.