NUMBER SYSTEM| CUET L-1

What is Number System in Maths?

A number system is defined as a system of writing to express numbers. It is the mathematical notation for representing numbers of a given set by using digits or other symbols in a consistent manner. It provides a unique representation of every number and represents the arithmetic and algebraic structure of the figures. It also allows us to operate arithmetic operations like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

The value of any digit in a number can be determined by:

The digit

Its position in the number

The base of the number system

Before discussing the different types of number system examples, first, let us discuss what is a number?

What is a Number?

A number is a mathematical value used for counting or measuring or labelling objects. Numbers are used to performing arithmetic calculations. Examples of numbers are natural numbers, whole numbers, rational and irrational numbers, etc. 0 is also a number that represents a null value.

A number has many other variations such as even and odd numbers, prime and composite numbers. Even and odd terms are used when a number is divisible by 2 or not, whereas prime and composite differentiate between the numbers that have only two factors and more than two factors, respectively.

In a number system, these numbers are used as digits. 0 and 1 are the most common digits in the number system, that are used to represent binary numbers. On the other hand, 0 to 9 digits are also used for other number systems. Let us learn here the types of number systems.