Bit

Bit is the most basic unit of information in computing and digital communications. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a logical state with one of two possible values. These values are most commonly represented as either "1" or "0".

Etymology

The term bit is a portmanteau of binary digit. The concept of a binary digit can be traced back to Gottfried Leibniz who, in the 17th century, developed the binary number system. Claude Shannon first used the term "bit" in a 1948 paper, "A Mathematical Theory of Communication".

Definition

In the context of information, a bit is a binary decision or a digital state that can be on or off, true or false, positive or negative, or one of a pair of opposites. In most modern computing devices, a bit is a form of binary code and is the most basic unit of data.

Related Terms

• Byte: A byte is a unit of digital information that consists of eight bits.
• Nibble: A nibble is a four-bit aggregation, or half an octet.
• Binary code: Binary code represents text, computer processor instructions, or any other data using a two-symbol system.
• Binary number: A binary number is a number expressed in the base-2 numeral system or binary numeral system, a method which uses only two symbols: typically "0" and "1".

See Also

• Data (computing)
• Information theory
• Digital data

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