binäärisymbolia

A binäärisymbolia, also known as a binary digit or bit, is the fundamental unit of information in computing and digital communications. It represents a state of either 0 or 1, which can be implemented using various physical phenomena such as electrical voltage, magnetic polarization, or optical signals. The concept of binary representation was pioneered by mathematicians and logicians like George Boole, whose Boolean algebra forms the theoretical basis for digital circuits.

The term "bit" was coined by John Tukey in 1946. Binary symbols are the building blocks of all digital data. Larger units of information are formed by grouping bits together. For example, a byte typically consists of eight bits, which can represent a character, a number, or a small instruction. The ability to represent complex information using only two states makes binary systems efficient and reliable for data storage, processing, and transmission. Modern computing relies entirely on the manipulation of these binary symbols.