Definition

1. Noun:
   • A system of representing numbers: Positional notation is a method of writing numbers where the value of a single digit depends on its position or place within the entire number. The value is determined by multiplying the digit by a power of a fixed base number.

Usage

• Positional notation is the standard system used in most modern cultures for writing numbers, such as the decimal (base-10) system.
• It is contrasted with non-positional systems, like Roman numerals, where the value of a symbol is largely independent of its position.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The decimal system is a common example of positional notation.
  • Understanding positional notation is fundamental to arithmetic and computer science, as binary is also a positional system.

Advanced Usage

• "Weighted positional notation": A more specific term emphasizing that each position has a specific weight (a power of the base).
  • Binary and hexadecimal are both forms of weighted positional notation.

Variants and Related Words

• Positional representation (n): A synonymous term for positional notation.

  • Computers rely on the positional representation of numbers.

• Place-value notation (n): Another fully synonymous term.

  • Children learn place-value notation when they study units, tens, and hundreds.

Synonyms

• Place-value system
• Positional representation system

Related Concepts (Not Phrasal Verbs or Idioms)

• Radix point: The dot (like a decimal point) that separates the integer part from the fractional part in positional notation.
• Base: The fundamental number that determines the value multiplier for each position (e.g., base 10 for decimal, base 2 for binary).

Noun

1. a numeration system in which a real number is represented by an ordered set of characters where the value of a character depends on its position