MSB

MSB is an acronym that can refer to several concepts across different fields. The most common meaning in computing is most significant bit, the binary digit with the highest value in a fixed-length representation.

In an n-bit number, the MSB is the bit at position n−1, corresponding to the value 2^(n−1). For example, in an 8-bit unsigned integer the binary 11001000 has an MSB of 1, representing 128. The MSB is also the sign bit in many signed representations such as two's complement, where 0 indicates nonnegative values and 1 indicates negative. In data transmission and encoding, MSB-first or big-endian bit order transmits or processes the most significant bit first.

Other uses of the acronym appear in economics. Marginal Social Benefit is a concept in welfare economics that denotes the incremental benefit to society from an additional unit of a good or service, as distinct from the private benefit received by an individual. In a social planner’s framework, policies are evaluated by comparing Marginal Social Benefit with Marginal Social Cost to determine optimal levels of production or consumption.

Less common uses exist in business, technology, or organizations, where MSB may be an acronym for a specific company name, project, or technical term unique to a field. Because MSB is not unique to a single domain, context is essential to interpret its meaning.

In summary, MSB commonly refers to the most significant bit in binary numbers and data encoding, and to marginal social benefit in economics, with other meanings varying by context.