Final answer:
The problems with the signed magnitude representation include difficulty in performing arithmetic operations, multiple representations for zero, and wasted range of representation.
Step-by-step explanation:
The problems or disadvantages with the signed magnitude representation are:
- Difficulty in performing arithmetic operations: In signed magnitude representation, addition and subtraction operations require extra steps compared to other number representations like two's complement. For example, to subtract two numbers in signed magnitude representation, you need to check the sign of the numbers and perform different operations based on the signs.
- Multiple representations for zero: In signed magnitude representation, there are two representations for zero: positive zero (+0) and negative zero (-0). This can lead to confusion and errors in calculations.
- Wasted range of representation: In signed magnitude representation, one bit is used to represent the sign, reducing the range of representable values compared to other representations.