Introduction to Engineering and Scientific Computing with Python

2 Computer-Based Calculations

DOI: 10.1201/9781003256861-2

Chapter Objectives

• Understand how numerical quantities are stored and manipulated within computer architecture.
• Familiarize yourself with the different number bases and systems: decimal, binary, octal, and hexadecimal and how to convert numbers between the bases.
• Learn how integers are stored in computers including signed numbers and limits on range.
• Understand how real numbers with fractional parts and exponents are represented in computer architecture, including limits on precision and range.
• See how other types of information, such as text and True/False Boolean data, are stored and manipulated in computers.

What goes on inside a computer differs from what engineers and scientists ...