Thread: Unary NOT on 32-bit integers

  1. #1
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    Unary NOT on 32-bit integers

    How come performing the unary NOT (~) opertion on int x = 0 gives the value of -1 and not a saturated int value?

  2. #2
    Registered User claudiu's Avatar
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    Because of two's complement representation.

    (x) + (~x +1) must always equal 0.

    0 + -1 + 1 = 0

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    Even with unsigned integers?

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    You're just flipping all the bits, so the result can never be saturated. In a one's complement system the result would be 0 (-0) (signed).

  5. #5
    Algorithm Dissector iMalc's Avatar
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    How were you expecting negative numbers to be represented in an int?
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    Yea it makes sense to me for signed integers, but for unsigned integers I am not clear why this is also the case. Guess I should brush up on two's complement.

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    OK I think I see that C does not allow unsigned integers of this magnitude, but the bit representation is still all ones, correct? That's all that really matters to me.

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    For unsigned number you should get INT_MAX.

  9. #9
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    Code:
    #include <stdio.h>
    
    int main() {
            unsigned int x = 0;
            printf("%u\n", ~x);
    }

  10. #10
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    %u, very helpful, thanks.

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