Introduction Crossword

There is a difference between recognising a term when you meet it on a page and being able to produce it when you need it, and only the second one is any use in a laboratory, a viva or an examination. A crossword is an unusually honest test of which of the two you have, because a clue gives you the idea and asks for the word, which is the direction that actually matters.

This one covers the opening of the module: numeration systems, binary arithmetic, and the terms that go with them. It follows Chapters 1 and 2 of the reading, so if a clue defeats you the answer is somewhere in those two chapters rather than somewhere you have not been yet.

How it works

Click a cell and type. Clicking the same cell again switches between across and down, and the clue you are currently in is highlighted so you can always see which one you are answering.

Check grid marks incorrect letters in red and leaves everything else alone. It will not tell you what the right letters are, which is deliberate: a wrong letter is a prompt to think again about that clue rather than an invitation to be given the answer. Clear grid empties everything if you would rather start afresh. You can also tick clues off in the list as you go, which is worth doing on a puzzle this size simply to keep track of where you are.

Answers are single words, written without spaces or punctuation. A few of them are the abbreviation rather than the full term, and where that is the case the clue says so.

Introduction Crossword

Introductory crossword covering numeration systems and binary arithmetic (Chapters 1 & 2).

derekmolloy.ie

🧩

Click a cell and type to fill the highlighted word. Click the same cell again (or press Enter) to switch between the across and down word passing through it. Clicking a clue jumps to its place in the grid. The checkbox in front of each clue is your own record of progress; Check grid highlights any incorrect letters without giving the answer away.

1

2

4

6

5

8

7

9

10

13

11

12

14

15

18

16

17

19

Check gridClear grid0/75 cells

Across

4.Base-10 numeration system utilising positional weights and ten counting digits (0–9)(7)

5.Standard symbolic mapping translating characters or numeric values into binary patterns(4)

8.Mathematical addition operator symbol (+) denoting positive polarity or summation(4)

7.The base number of unique counting symbols in a system, or the point separating fractional parts(5)

9.The arithmetic total produced by adding two or more binary addends together(3)

10.Least Significant Bit, the rightmost binary digit carrying the lowest place weight (abbr.)(3)

11.Standard digital data grouping comprising eight contiguous bits(4)

14.The fundamental base (radix) of the binary numeration system (2¹)(3)

16.Circular shift register counter structure where a state recirculates sequentially(4)

17.Arithmetic condition occurring when an operation result exceeds the fixed register bit-width(8)

19.Radix complement representation formed by bitwise inverting every bit in a binary word(4)

Down

1.Base-16 numeration system utilising decimal digits 0–9 and alphabetic symbols A–F(11)

2.The leftmost bit in signed binary representations indicating positive (0) or negative (1)(4)

6.Ancient calculating instrument employing beads on rods to maintain positional place value(6)

5.Interconnected electronic hardware pathway routing discrete voltage representations of logic states(7)

13.Portmanteau for Binary Digit, representing the fundamental unit of digital information(3)

11.The total number of discrete counting characters (radix) available in a number system(4)

12.Natural multi-bit data grouping processed as a single unit by a computer architecture(4)

15.The baseline quantity one (1) representing the elementary discrete measure(4)

18.The constant multiplier applied to calculate successive place weights in binary notation(3)

If you get stuck

Leave it and come back. A clue that looks impossible often becomes obvious once a crossing answer has filled in two of its letters, and the letters you already have are the reason a crossword is easier than the same twenty questions asked as a list.