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A long-standing question I've asked myself over and over again is how one might express fractional parts of a whole in base number systems other than 10. Is it truly as simple as base-10's x/y system? Or is it even possible? If it is, how might a computer express a fractional part of, say, binary or hexidecimal?

Bytewave
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  • I think that this link: http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/55744.html will be of help to you. – Daccache Sep 08 '14 at 05:42

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I guess it should be as straightforward as x/y

for example 1/3 in base 10 would be 1/11 in binary

adding 1/3+ 1/3 =2/3 base 10 would be 1/11+1/11 = 10/11 in binary

adding 2/3+1/3 =1 should be 10/11+ 1/11= 11/11=1 in binary

prashanth rao
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  • Hmm... Interesting. I'll accept this answer for now- if anyone has anything else they'd like to add, feel free. Thanks. – Bytewave Sep 09 '14 at 13:12
  • This answer is not correct, $1.11 = 12^0 + 12^{-1}+12^{-2}$ this is analog to the decimal system where for example $1.57=110^0+510^{-1}+710^{-2}$ – Belgi Oct 13 '14 at 19:59
  • @Eliot - See my comment – Belgi Oct 13 '14 at 20:00