What is a radix?

A radix is the base of a number system, which is the number of unique digits used to represent numbers in that system. For example, in the decimal system, the radix is 10 because it uses the digits 0-9 to represent numbers. In the binary system, the radix is 2 because it uses the digits 0 and 1 to represent numbers.

The radix of a number system is important because it determines how many unique values can be represented in that system. For example, in the decimal system, the radix of 10 allows for 10 unique values (0-9). In the binary system, the radix of 2 allows for only two unique values (0 and 1).

The radix also determines how the values of a number are represented in a given system. In the decimal system, the radix of 10 is used to represent the values of a number in powers of 10. For example, the number 123 can be broken down into 1x100 + 2x10 + 3x1, which is equal to 123. In the binary system, the radix of 2 is used to represent the values of a number in powers of 2. For example, the number 101 can be broken down into 1x4 + 0x2 + 1x1, which is equal to 5.

In summary, a radix is the base of a number system, which is the number of unique digits used to represent numbers in that system. It determines how many unique values can be represented in a given system, as well as how the values of a number are represented in that system.