From: Mark Hubbart <discordantus@...>
Date: 2005-05-05T05:19:53+09:00
Subject: Re: Fixnum's binary representation

On 5/4/05, Phil Tomson <ptkwt@aracnet.com> wrote:
> In article <de63abca05050410051035e0c2@mail.gmail.com>,
> Mark Hubbart  <discordantus@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On 5/4/05, camsight@gmail.com <camsight@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Thanks, Robert!
> >>
> >> > For which numbers do you have problems?  I don't see any so far
> >>
> >> I mean...
> >> If Bignum#[] is made to simulate 32-bit signed integers, it can't show
> >> numbers with more than 32-bit representation.
> >> Well, positive numbers will be okay.
> >> But what about negative numbers?
> >> When can I expect the sign bit?
> >> I assume that numbers beyond 32-bit are not suitable for Bignum#[].
> >> Do you agree?
> >
> >IIUC, it's not precisely a "sign bit"; it's more like an entire
> >bit-flip. -1 is zero, bit-flipped.
> 
> It's 2's complement, isn't it?

(looking it up)

yeah! that's what it is. IANACSM (I am not a CS major) and I still
have terminology to learn. I am woefully ignorant of it, and really
should read some programming theory. When I get the time. :)

cheers,
Mark