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My question is: Is there a definite system that says that if the first bit (when we turn our hexadecimal number to binary) is a 1 then the hexadecimal number is negative? Is this a definite rule for the computer that the first bit always defines if the number is negative or positive? Thanks in advance!

old_timer
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Ilir Hajrullahu
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    duplication of https://stackoverflow.com/questions/33629416/how-to-tell-if-hex-value-is-negative – Ilan Keshet Jun 18 '18 at 23:31
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    Hex is a _numeral_ system, not a specific way to represent numbers using binary values (such as two's complement), so the question doesn't really make sense. It depends on how the bits are interpreted – which the hexadecimal system does not dictate. – Matt Ball Jun 18 '18 at 23:34

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Typically, without diving into two's compliments and arithmetic, the leading bit is the sign bit. Here is some reading on the math exchange forum for you:

https://math.stackexchange.com/questions/408761/hexadecimal-value-of-a-negative-number

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Two%27s_complement

Dedloff
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