Digital Data, Compression, and Intellectual Property Concepts

Binary

A way of representing information using only two options

Bit

A contraction of 'Binary Digit'; the single unit of information in a computer, typically represented as a 0 or 1

Byte

8 bits

Decimal

A way of representing information using ten options

Overflow Error

Error from attempting to represent a number that is too large

Round-off Error

Error from attempting to represent a number that is too precise. The value is rounded.

Analog Data

Data with values that change continuously, or smoothly, over time. Some examples of analog data include music, colors of a painting, or position of a sprinter during a race.

Digital Data

Data that changes discreetly through a finite set of possible values

Sampling

A process for creating a digital representation of analog data by measuring the analog data at regular intervals called samples.

Lossless Compression

A process for reducing the number of bits needed to represent something without losing any information. This process is reversible.

Lossy Compression

A process for reducing the number of bits needed to represent something in which some information is lost or thrown away. This process is not reversible.

Creative Commons

A collection of public copyright licenses that enable the free distribution of an otherwise copyrighted work, used when an author wants to give people the right to share, use, and build upon a work that they have created

Intellectual Property

A work or invention that is the result of creativity, such as a piece of writing or a design, to which one has rights and for which one may apply for a patent, copyright, trademark, etc.