Final answer:
An unsigned integer of w bits has a minimum value of 0 and a maximum value of 2 to the power of w minus 1. For example, an 8-bit unsigned integer can represent values from 0 to 255.
Step-by-step explanation:
Understanding Unsigned Integers in Computing
In the realm of computers and technology, an unsigned integer is a binary number representation that can only hold non-negative values. With a width of w bits, the maximum and minimum values that can be represented by an unsigned integer can be calculated using powers of 2.
The minimum value for an unsigned integer of any bit width is always 0, because all bits would be set to 0. On the other hand, the maximum value for an unsigned integer of w bits is calculated by using 2 to the power of w and subtracting 1 from the result. This is because binary counting starts at 0 and each bit can hold a value of 0 or 1. With w bits, you have 2w possible combinations, but since we start counting from 0, the highest value is one less than the total number of combinations.
For example, an 8-bit unsigned integer can represent values from 0 to 255, calculated by 28 - 1 = 256 - 1 = 255.