Arithmetic of Computers

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Lesson 3

Negative Numbers

Real values of less than nothing

Page 120

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Your answer :

(1)/(3) = 3^− 1.

You are correct. We defined

b^− n = (1)/(bⁿ).

So if we wish to write (1)/(3) as a power of 3, all we need to do is write

(1)/(3) = 3^− 1

which is just what our definition said.

Now we had better check to see that we don’t get into any trouble with this definition. Suppose we want to multiply

16 × (1)/(8).

What number do we get by multiplying 16 × (1)/(8)?

Answer :

Go to Page 109

128.

Go to Page 114

Answer to Self-Test Question 10, Lesson 3 :

15^− 1.