Base Conversion

Dr. Arunachalam V
Associate Professor, SENSE
 Base conversion
• Since computers usually work with binary numbers, and human prefer decimal
representations, input/output base conversions are needed.
• In a typical computation, there are only a few conversions, compared to the
total number of operations, so optimizing conversions is less important than
optimizing other aspects of the computation.
• However, when working with huge numbers, naive conversion algorithms may
slow down the whole computation.
• All the numbers are represented internally in base - usually a power of 2 -
and externally in base B - say a power of 10.
• When both bases are commensurable, i.e., both are powers of a common
integer, like β = 8 and B = 16, conversions of n-digit numbers can be
performed in O(n) operations.
• We assume here that and B are not commensurable.
• One might think that only one algorithm is needed, since input and output are
symmetric by exchanging bases and B.
• Unfortunately, this is not true, since computations are done only in base .
 Quadratic Algorithms

Verify the algorithms using S = 189 ; = 1011 1101

 Subquadratic Algorithms
• Fast conversions routines are obtained using a “divide and conquer” strategy.
• Given two strings s and t, we let s || t denote the concatenation of s and t.
• For integer input, if the given string decomposes as = || where
has k digits in base B, then , = , + , ,
• Where Input(S,B) is the value obtained when reading the string S in the
external base B.
Verify the algorithms using S = 189 ; = 1011 1101
Verify the algorithms using S = 189 ; = 1011 1101
 Reference
1. Chapter 1.7 of Richard P Brent and Paul Zimmerman, “Modern
Computer Arithmetic”, Cambridge University Press 2010.
Next Class

MODULAR ARITHMETIC

Start reading the Chapter 2 of Richard P Brent and Paul Zimmerman, “Modern
Computer Arithmetic”, Cambridge University Press 2010.