How are real numbers represented in computers?

Real numbers are represented in computers using floating point representation. This method is essential for accurately storing and manipulating decimal numbers, which include fractions and numbers with both integer and fractional parts.

The floating point representation allows for a vast range of real numbers by using a format that combines a significand (or mantissa) and an exponent. This format provides the flexibility needed to represent very large or very small numbers, as well as numbers with a non-integer component, which would not be feasible with simple integer representation.

While there are other methods of representing data in computers, like hexadecimal codes for clarity in programming and binary strings for general data representation, they do not inherently cater specifically to the requirements of real numbers. Integer representation is restrictively limited to whole numbers and is not suitable for fractional values. Therefore, floating point representation is the correct and preferred method for handling real numbers in computing systems.