Converting Numbers & the Number System

To convert the # 110010101 to a decimal, I started to utilize the powers of 2 increasing the exponent by 1 each time. For example, I started on the rightmost side with the numeral 1 and made it equal to 2 to the zero, then 0 to the first and so on. Eventually, using these powers I got up to 2 to the 9th. Next I added up all the ones which was 1+4+16+128+256 which equals 405.

The number 529 can be converted into binary by dividing the digit by 2 and thus taking the quotient of that and dividing by 2 until the final remainder is 0. In the dividing process, after getting the quotients you need to take the remainder which can be equal to 0 or 1 and starting from the rightmost side fill in the binary number like so:

529 divided by 2= 264 1
264 " "= 137 0
137 " "= 68 1
68" "= 34 0
34" "= 17 0
17" "= 8 1
8" "= 4 0
4" "= 2 0
2" "= 1 1
1" "= 1/2 0

Thus the answer is 0100100101.


The positional number system is when the value of each digit by its position. In other words "Order Matters". For example, the # 312 is different from the value 213. The non-positional number system is when symbols are utilized to represent numbers like the Roman numeral system is non-positional. For example V would represent the numeral 5.

Global Swarming

Ch.6 in the text-book was one of the most intriguing chapters I've read this year because I found it fascinating that websites like Amazon.com have found ways to get people to buy more products through them. The consumer aspect is interesting becaue it is very profitable to the company utilizing the consumer information to advertise products to them. Amazon uses consumer information by taking the items that consumers are looking at and making some sort of network that shows what other people are buying along with that object. The network is a never-ending trail because consumers can click on any object through the website but yet there will be a never-ending cycle of recommended products. Companies that master how to do this can predict what consumers like and want.

Unix Commands

mkdir- I found this is an important command because it lets me construct other directories in which I can store data. Making a new folder in Windows and transferring files into it is like making a new directory in Shell because a directory in Shell is like a folder in Windows where you may put other files in it.

rmdir- Lets me be able to clean out the unused directories I do not need or when I make a typo on a directory name when I enter it into the system. In Windows, deleting a folder with files in it is the equivalent of removing a directory from Shell.

finger- The command lets me view other people's names, shell, and whether they've checked their mail. I can find just about anyone using the program. The "Search" program in Windows can help a person find files or folders and is similiar to the "finger" command because the program can find the directories you type in if it exists.

cal- Brings up a calendar so I can view the dates. It can even give dates in the future. For example the calendar can tell me what day it will be on the same date today. With the Windows program, you can pull up the calendar by clicking on the time in the toolbar. Double-clicking it will pull up another window with a calendar on it. Like the Shell version, the calendar can match up the date with a day in the future.

Modeling the World

The subject matter of modeling the world is very intrigueing because it is awe-inspiring to think that many objects such as a bush can be written with a certain mathematical code. The coding of of objects strikes me in a deep way because numbers are almost like an imaginary object and is in no way a physical object. Changing one number can influence the outcome of a model which is an interesting thing because if someone messes up one simple digit or letter like in HTML it can influence the outcome of the model.