Leading digit in normalized binary – UGC NET Question

In normalized binary representation of non-zero values, the convention is that the leading digit before the binary point is 1. This ensures a unique representation for each non-zero number and maximizes precision by using the most significant bit. Therefore, the leading digit is constrained to be 1.

Option A:
Option A, 0, would indicate a denormalized or subnormal number, not a normalized one. In normalized form, a leading 0 would waste the most significant bit.

Option B:
Option B is correct because normalization requires the first non-zero bit to be 1 and positioned just before the binary point. This is standard in IEEE binary floating-point formats.

Option C:
Option C, 2, is not a valid single binary digit since binary digits can only be 0 or 1. It cannot serve as a leading bit.

Option D:
Option D, 3, is also invalid as a binary digit and has no meaning in this context.