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Femme_physics
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This may sound like a stupid question, but binary code seems so "simple", but it's been with us since the 1940's. What'd be wrong with tertiary code, say?
If we're talking about computer memory, such as RAM, it's not pulses of electricity - it's two different voltage levels, high or low. One voltage level corresponds to 1 and the other corresponds to 0. If we're talking about storage devices such as hard disks, each one of the trillions of magnetic domains can be read or changed (magnetized) to one of two orientations by the drive head. [/quote]KrisOhn said:Computers process information by using pulses of electricity. Binary essentially represents this electricity. A 1 in binary is a pulse, a 0 is no pulse.
In one way programs written in an assembly language are very simple. Most instructions in assembly cause one thing to happen, such as moving a value from memory into a particular register or adding two numbers.KrisOhn said:I'm sure it's a bit more complicated than that, but I think that would do as a rough idea. I'm not sure if any kind of code could replace binary without fundamentally changing the way computers process information.
I'm also not sure I understand you when you say simple. In my mind, the higher level the code, the simpler it is; since it is essentially getting closer and closer to spoken language. I know that to write some of the programs I write in C or C++ in Assembly, it would be a very difficult and complex task. To write the program in binary would be unthinkable.
Yes, I understand that, I meant what I said to be a rough approximation of what happens.Mark44 said:If we're talking about computer memory, such as RAM, it's not pulses of electricity - it's two different voltage levels, high or low. One voltage level corresponds to 1 and the other corresponds to 0. If we're talking about storage devices such as hard disks, each one of the trillions of magnetic domains can be read or changed (magnetized) to one of two orientations by the drive head.
In one way programs written in an assembly language are very simple. Most instructions in assembly cause one thing to happen, such as moving a value from memory into a particular register or adding two numbers.
Search Wiki for Octal and Hexadecimal.Femme_physics said:This may sound like a stupid question, but binary code seems so "simple", but it's been with us since the 1940's. What'd be wrong with tertiary code, say?
timthereaper said:Isn't quantum computing trying to do that? From what I read (well, understood), the photon states are coupled and somehow can represent combinations of states, including both 1 and 0 simultaneously. I would like more of an explanation on how that works from someone who's more familiar with it.
Pithikos said:The reason we use binary and not tertiary is because of noise. Electricity voltage is very hard to keep stable and if we used a tertiary base system then we would get false values very often with the technology we have nowadays.
Binary code is still used because it is the most basic and fundamental form of data representation in computers. It allows for data to be represented using only two digits, 0 and 1, which makes it easier for computers to process and store information.
Yes, there has been progress in developing more advanced systems for data representation, such as hexadecimal and octal code. These systems use a larger number of digits to represent data, which allows for more complex and efficient processing of information.
We still rely on binary code for computing because it has proven to be a reliable and efficient method for data processing. It is also deeply integrated into the design of computer hardware and software, making it difficult to completely move away from.
Yes, there are limitations to advancing beyond binary code. While it is possible to use more advanced systems for data representation, it would require significant changes to existing computer hardware and software, which can be costly and time-consuming.
It is unlikely that we will completely move away from binary code in the near future. While advancements in technology may allow for more efficient and complex systems for data representation, binary code will likely continue to be the basis for computing due to its reliability and compatibility with existing systems.