How the binary numbering system impacts Python and data science

The first exposure that I had to the binary number system was about 45 years ago when I was in the United States Air Force, studying to become a Radio Relay Equipment Repairman. Although things have changed greatly over the decades, one thing that has stayed constant is the binary number system and the principles behind it. I have decided, therefore, to write a short blog post on the binary number system and how it relates to the Python programming language.

What is the binary number system?

The binary number system is a number system that is made up of only two numbers: typically being 0 and 1. These two numbers can represent a variety of things, such as:-

True / False

On / Off

Yes / No

The binary number system can also be used to represent ordinary numbers as combinations of 1’s and 0’s. An illustration of how the binary number system can be used to compute numbers can be seen below:-

Decimal number system

Binary number system

The position of every digit in the binary number has a weight of the power of 2. Each position in the binary number system is 2 times more significant than the previous position. How the positions in the…