In computers, subtraction is generally carried out by*1 point9’s complement10’s complement1’s complement2’s complement

In computers, subtraction is generally carried out by 2's complement method.

Explanation

• Complement Systems: Computers utilize binary number representations, and when handling subtraction, complements are used to simplify the operation. The 2's complement method is widely adopted because it allows for easy addition of negative numbers, preserving the existing arithmetic structures within digital circuits.

• How 2's Complement Works: For any binary number, to get its 2's complement, you invert all bits (i.e., change 0s to 1s and 1s to 0s) and then add 1 to the least significant bit (LSB). This method effectively allows subtraction to be performed as an addition operation.

Why 2's Complement?

• It avoids the complications of dealing with negative values directly in binary, simplifying the hardware design of arithmetic logic units (ALUs).
• It ensures a single representation of zero, as opposed to the 1's complement which can produce two representations of zero (positive and negative zero).

In summary, the 2's complement method is the standard approach used by computers for performing subtraction.