Dan Purgert <d...@djph.net> wrote: > On May 22, 2023, gene heskett wrote: > > On 5/22/23 15:04, to...@tuxteam.de wrote: > > > On Mon, May 22, 2023 at 12:16:09PM -0400, gene heskett wrote: > > > > On 5/22/23 03:32, Tim Woodall wrote: > > > > > On Mon, 22 May 2023, to...@tuxteam.de wrote: > > > > > > > > > > number; for (human) display it is subdivided into four 8 > > > > > bit chunks > > > > > > (called "octets" for obvious reasons), and those octets > > > > > > only can go from 0 to 255 (since 2^8 == 255). > > > > > > > > > > > Nit, but 2^8 is 256. > > > > > > > > > > . > > > > The octets count from base 0 Tim. > > > > > > That's right, but then they go 0 .. 2^8 - 1. 2^8 is still 256, > > > Tim does have a point there :-) > > > > > I don't see it, 255 is all 8 bits set, 256 is all 8 bits cleared > > and carry set. > > In "natural counting", 2^8 is 256. (1, 2, 3, 4, ... , 256).
In any counting, 2^8 is 256. "2^8 is 256" is just a way of saying in English the same as the assertion "2^8 == 256" in a programming language. They are exactly the same statement. And they are true. That's all Tomas was saying. And yes you need 9 bits in binary to say it. > However, you're correct in that the 256 possible values for an 8-bit > number in computing are 0-255. (i.e. 0 to (2^8)-1)
