Subtraction Using 2’s Complement Arithmetic - 3.3.1 | 3. Digital Arithmetic - Part A | Digital Electronics - Vol 1
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3.3.1 - Subtraction Using 2’s Complement Arithmetic

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Interactive Audio Lesson

Listen to a student-teacher conversation explaining the topic in a relatable way.

Understanding 2's Complement Method

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

Today, we're going to learn about subtracting binary numbers using the 2’s complement method. Can anyone tell me what they understand by 2's complement?

Student 1
Student 1

Is it a way to represent negative numbers in binary?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! It allows us to simplify subtraction by transforming it into an addition problem. For instance, instead of directly subtracting, we convert the subtrahend to its 2's complement and add it to the minuend.

Student 2
Student 2

So, we just add? What happens if we have a borrow?

Teacher
Teacher

Great question! During this process, we simply disregard any carry from the most significant bit. This helps maintain focus on the results needed.

Student 3
Student 3

Can you give an example of how this works?

Teacher
Teacher

Sure! For instance, subtracting 14 from 24. We'd represent them as binary: 24 is 00011000 and 14 is 00001110. To subtract, we convert 14 to 2's complement, which is 11110010, and then add it to 24.

Student 4
Student 4

And we’d get the result without needing to borrow?

Teacher
Teacher

Yes! And in this case, we end up with 00001010, which is 10 in decimal.

Teacher
Teacher

So to recap, using 2's complement is a neat trick for handling subtraction in binary, simplifying our calculations. Remember, always disregard the final carry!

Exploring Different Cases

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

Now, let’s discuss the different scenarios for subtraction using 2’s complement. What do you think will happen if the minuend is larger than the subtrahend, both being positive?

Student 1
Student 1

We should just get a positive result, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! That’s Case 1. Conversely, in Case 2, if the minuend is smaller than the subtrahend—what happens then?

Student 2
Student 2

I guess we get a negative number?

Teacher
Teacher

Correct! You’ll end up with a negative result, represented in 2’s complement form. Now, what about when the minuend is positive but the subtrahend is negative?

Student 3
Student 3

We likely end up adding a bigger number, increasing the total, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! That’s Case 3, and it demonstrates how we can use negatives in our calculations. Remember, if the signs of both values are the same, like in Case 5 and Case 6, you’ll also need to keep track of which number is larger to determine the sign of the result. Any questions so far?

Student 4
Student 4

No, I think I get it! But can you remind us when to disregard carried results?

Teacher
Teacher

Of course! Regardless of the cases, after performing any addition, we always disregard the final carry from our calculations, which is crucial for getting the valid result.

Practical Applications and Examples

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

Let's apply what we've learned to a couple of examples. For example, if we want to subtract 24 from 14, how do we set that up?

Student 1
Student 1

We'd convert 24 to binary and then find its 2's complement, right?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! So that would make our minuend 00001110 for 14 and its 2's complement 11101000 for 24. What happens when we add these together?

Student 2
Student 2

We end up with 11110110, which means it's negative.

Teacher
Teacher

Spot on! That means our result is -10. Now let’s consider another situation—subtracting -14 from +24.

Student 3
Student 3

So we just convert -14 into its complement?

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! And then add. The result should come out positive, which can be confirmed by directly converting.

Student 4
Student 4

So the result is now positive 38?

Teacher
Teacher

Yes! So to summarize: when you use 2’s complement for subtraction, your operations are consistent regardless of the signs of your numbers. Remembering to convert and disregard carry will help solidify your understanding!

Summary and Review

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0:00
Teacher
Teacher

As we wrap up today’s lesson, who can tell me the steps we take to subtract using 2’s complement arithmetic?

Student 1
Student 1

First, we calculate the 2's complement of the subtrahend.

Teacher
Teacher

Correct. Then what’s next?

Student 2
Student 2

Add that result to the minuend!

Teacher
Teacher

Very good! And what do we do with the carry?

Student 3
Student 3

We disregard it!

Teacher
Teacher

Exactly! And we remember that the answer is in 2's complement notation, with the first bit indicating if it’s positive or negative. Can anyone tell me how the sign works?

Student 4
Student 4

A '0' means positive and a '1' means negative.

Teacher
Teacher

Great! Remember these key takeaways as they’ll be crucial for future lessons. You’ve all done a fantastic job today!

Introduction & Overview

Read a summary of the section's main ideas. Choose from Basic, Medium, or Detailed.

Quick Overview

This section explains how to perform subtraction using 2’s complement arithmetic, illustrating several cases to highlight the methodology.

Standard

The section details the steps involved in subtracting binary numbers using 2's complement arithmetic. It outlines six specific cases to consider, detailing how to manipulate the minuend and subtrahend, and elucidating the importance of disregarding carries during the process.

Detailed

Subtraction Using 2’s Complement Arithmetic

Subtraction in binary can effectively be performed by using 2’s complement arithmetic. This section explores the methodology behind this operation, emphasizing that the process is akin to addition. By adding the 2's complement of the subtrahend to the minuend, we can achieve the desired subtraction while disregarding any final carry.

Key Cases Explained

The section details six significant cases that demonstrate the versatility of 2's complement arithmetic for subtraction:

  1. Both Minuend and Subtrahend are Positive: Here, the subtrahend is smaller than the minuend.
  2. Both Minuend and Subtrahend are Positive: The subtrahend is larger than the minuend.
  3. Minuend is Positive: The subtrahend is negative and smaller in magnitude.
  4. Minuend is Positive: The subtrahend is negative and greater in magnitude.
  5. Both are Negative: The minuend is smaller.
  6. Both are Negative: The minuend is larger.

In all cases, the 2’s complement of the subtrahend is calculated, added to the minuend, and the carry is disregarded to achieve the result, which is also expressed in 2’s complement form. The final result's sign is determined by the most significant bit (MSB): '0' indicates positive, and '1' indicates negative. Thus, the relevance of 2's complement arithmetic shines through its ability to streamline subtraction operations within binary arithmetic.

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Audio Book

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Introduction to Subtraction Using 2's Complement

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Subtraction is similar to addition. Adding 2’s complement of the subtrahend to the minuend and disregarding the carry, if any, achieves subtraction. The process is illustrated by considering six different cases:

Detailed Explanation

In binary arithmetic, subtraction can be simplified using the 2's complement method. Instead of performing direct subtraction, we convert the subtrahend (the number being subtracted) to its 2's complement and add it to the minuend (the number from which we are subtracting). This takes advantage of the way binary numbers work, allowing us to utilize addition rules instead of dealing with subtraction directly. If an extra carry is produced during the addition, we simply ignore it.

Examples & Analogies

Imagine you have a pile of apples (minuend) and you want to take a certain number away (subtrahend). Instead of manually counting backwards, you can think of it as adding back a different pile of apples that effectively represents the number you're taking away. This makes it easier to calculate your final number of apples.

Case 1: Positive Minuend and Smaller Subtrahend

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Let us subtract +14 from +24. The 2’s complement representation of +24 = 00011000. The 2’s complement representation of +14 = 00001110. Now, the 2’s complement of the subtrahend (i.e. +14) is 11110010. Therefore, +24 − (+14) is given by:

00011000
+11110010
00001010

with the final carry disregarded. The decimal equivalent of (00001010) is +10, which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

In Case 1, we subtract a smaller positive number from a larger positive number. First, we convert both numbers to binary and then find the 2's complement of the smaller number (14), which is done by inverting the digits and adding 1. The resulting binary is added to the larger number (24). The final binary result gives us 10, which is correct as 24 - 14 = 10.

Examples & Analogies

Think of you having 24 candies and wanting to give away 14. If you can visualize that you are effectively taking fewer candies away than you have, it just makes sense that you will still be left with a positive number of candies, which we've computed as 10.

Case 2: Positive Minuend and Larger Subtrahend

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Let us subtract +24 from +14. The 2’s complement representation of +14 = 00001110. The 2’s complement representation of +24 = 00011000. The 2’s complement of the subtrahend (i.e. +24) = 11101000. Therefore, +14 − (+24) is given by:

00001110
+11101000
11110110

The decimal equivalent of (11110110), which is of course in 2’s complement form, is −10 which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

Here, we subtract a larger positive number from a smaller positive number. After converting to binary and finding the 2's complement, we proceed with the addition. The resulting binary indicates a negative number, which we interpret as -10 because when you subtract a larger value from a smaller one, you end up with a negative amount.

Examples & Analogies

Consider your friend has 14 candies, but you want to borrow 24 from them. Since they don't have enough, when you try to calculate how many they end up with, you would find that they ‘owe’ you 10 candies. This reflects the outcome of our calculation.

Case 3: Positive Minuend and Negative Subtrahend (Smaller Magnitude)

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Let us subtract −14 from +24. The 2’s complement representation of +24 = 00011000. The 2’s complement representation of −14 = 11110010. The 2’s complement of the subtrahend (i.e. −14) = 00001110. Therefore, +24 − (−14) is performed as follows:

00011000
+00001110
00100110

The decimal equivalent of (00100110) is +38, which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

In this case, we are subtracting a negative number from a positive number. This effectively means we are adding a positive number to our minuend. The process is similar: convert and add the 2's complement. The result is positive, indicating that the final amount is increased due to subtracting a 'negative'. Thus, 24 - (-14) equals 38.

Examples & Analogies

You have 24 dollars, and your friend owes you 14 dollars. Instead of losing money, you are effectively gaining more since you have less debt. This is akin to saying that removing a debt increases your total.

Case 4: Positive Minuend and Negative Subtrahend (Larger Magnitude)

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Let us subtract −24 from +14. The 2’s complement representation of +14 = 00001110. The 2’s complement representation of −24 = 11101000. The 2’s complement of the subtrahend (i.e. −24) = 00011000. Therefore, +14 − (−24) is performed as follows:

00001110
+00011000
00100110

The decimal equivalent of (00100110) is +38, which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

Here, we again see that adding a negative value yields a positive result. By converting -24 to its 2's complement and adding it to +14, we effectively increase our total further than just 14. The resulting operation provides +38, suggesting we are significantly above zero.

Examples & Analogies

This scenario is much like getting a bonus on the 14 dollars you have instead of being penalized, as you subtract passing debts or expenses. Instead of losing money, you effectively increase your wealth due to offsetting losses.

Case 5: Both Minuend and Subtrahend are Negative (Smaller Minuend)

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Let us subtract −14 from −24. The 2’s complement representation of −24 = 11101000. The 2’s complement representation of −14 = 11110010. The 2’s complement of the subtrahend = 00001110. Therefore, −24 − (−14) is given as follows:

11101000
+00001110
11110110

The decimal equivalent of (11110110) is −10, which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

In this instance, we are subtracting a smaller negative number from a larger negative number. This makes them more complicated without a visual or physical reference. After following the rules of 2's complement and addition, we find that negative numbers extend to -10 since taking one negative away leaves a larger negative remaining.

Examples & Analogies

Suppose you owe $24 and also owe your friend an additional $14. If you manage to cancel out a smaller debt, you're still left significantly in debt. This is reflective of our numerical outcome.

Case 6: Both Minuend and Subtrahend are Negative (Larger Minuend)

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Let us subtract −24 from −14. The 2’s complement representation of −14 = 11110010. The 2’s complement representation of −24 = 11101000. The 2’s complement of the subtrahend = 00011000. Therefore, −14 − (−24) is given as follows:

11110010
+00011000
00001010

with the final carry disregarded. The decimal equivalent of (00001010), which is in 2’s complement form, is +10, which is the correct answer.

Detailed Explanation

Subtracting the larger negative number from the smaller negative leads to a scenario where a positive value emerges. By converting to 2's complement and summing, we see that cancelling out losses creates a negligible net cost, bringing us to +10, which illustrates that we are ending up 'in the positive'.

Examples & Analogies

If being in debt of $14 means your net obligation drops even further when applying the cancellation of debt from another owed amount of $24. It gives you a net gain, akin to having money left over after clearing debts.

Summary of Steps in 2's Complement Subtraction

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It may be mentioned that, in 2’s complement arithmetic, the answer is also in 2’s complement notation, only with the MSB indicating the sign and the remaining bits indicating the magnitude. In 2’s complement notation, positive magnitudes are represented in the same way as the straight binary numbers, while the negative magnitudes are represented as the 2’s complement of their straight binary counterparts. A ‘0’ in the MSB position indicates a positive sign, while a ‘1’ in the MSB position indicates a negative sign. The different steps to be followed to do subtraction in 2’s complement arithmetic are summarized as follows:

  1. Represent the minuend and subtrahend in 2’s complement form.
  2. Find the 2’s complement of the subtrahend.
  3. Add the 2’s complement of the subtrahend to the minuend.
  4. Disregard the final carry, if any.
  5. The result is in 2’s complement form.
  6. 2’s complement notation can be used to perform subtraction when the expected result of subtraction lies in the range from −2^(n-1) to +(2^(n-1)− 1), n being the number of bits used to represent the numbers.

Detailed Explanation

Utilizing 2's complement for subtraction involves several clear steps: we first represent both numbers as 2’s complement, find the complement of the subtrahend, and then add that to the minuend. Finally, any carry is ignored. The results hold true to the binary arithmetic's fundamentals and illustrate the range of results that can be expected through this method.

Examples & Analogies

Think of 2's complement as a digital scoreboard—subjects are always displayed as positive or negative scores depending on the situation. Understanding whether the final outcome reflects a gain or loss becomes intuitive, much like interpreting scores in a game, where 0 is clear but anything below indicates a deficit.

Definitions & Key Concepts

Learn essential terms and foundational ideas that form the basis of the topic.

Key Concepts

  • 2’s Complement Method: It simplifies binary subtraction by converting the subtrahend and using addition.

  • Minuend vs. Subtrahend: Understanding these two terms is critical for identifying what is being subtracted.

  • Disregarding Carry: Any carry from the most significant bit should be ignored in the final result.

Examples & Real-Life Applications

See how the concepts apply in real-world scenarios to understand their practical implications.

Examples

  • To subtract 14 from 24 using 2's complement, convert 14 to 11110010 and add it to 00011000, resulting in 10.

  • Subtracting -14 from +24 involves converting -14 to its 2's complement and adding it to +24, leading to a result of +38.

Memory Aids

Use mnemonics, acronyms, or visual cues to help remember key information more easily.

🎵 Rhymes Time

  • To subtract, a trick you may see, take the subtrahend's complement, add to the minuend for glee.

📖 Fascinating Stories

  • There was a binary tree where the minuend sat tall, and to subtract, it gave its complement a call.

🧠 Other Memory Gems

  • A for Add, C for Complement, D for Disregard, making subtraction easy and streamlined.

🎯 Super Acronyms

M S M – Minuend, Subtrahend, and Remember (Disregard Carry).

Flash Cards

Review key concepts with flashcards.

Glossary of Terms

Review the Definitions for terms.

  • Term: Minuend

    Definition:

    The number from which another number (the subtrahend) is being subtracted.

  • Term: Subtrahend

    Definition:

    The number that is being subtracted from the minuend.

  • Term: 2’s Complement

    Definition:

    A method for representing signed numbers in binary that simplifies the operation of subtraction.

  • Term: Binary Addition

    Definition:

    The process of adding binary numbers according to specific rules, similar to decimal addition.

  • Term: Carry

    Definition:

    A bit that is transferred to the next higher bit position in arithmetic computations.