50.1k views
5 votes
How many bits does 2 to the 100 have if written in base 2?

User Freddy
by
8.2k points

1 Answer

3 votes
Not sure how to give a hint without blatantly giving the answer but...

Consider an n - digit number in base b.

That is N=an−1an−2.....a0=∑k=0akbk
N
=
a
n

1
a
n

2
.
.
.
.
.
a
0
=

k
=
0
a
k
b
k
Note aka
k
<
b
so we can easily show NN
<
b
n
(may have to repeat and argue inductively.

And presumably to be n - digit than an−1≠0
a
n

1

0
so N≥bn−1
N

b
n

1
.

So we have: every n digit number is between bn−1
b
n

1
inclusively and bn
b
n
exclusively. This should be blindingly obvious to us if b=10
b
=
10
.

So... that's a really important and fundamental result. Remember and use it.
User Fwyzard
by
7.7k points