Discrete vs. Continuous Data in Computer Systems: Key Concepts and Examples

Discrete data

The number of users currently logged into a website's server.

Continuous data (analog)

It has an infinite number of possible values within any given range.

Quantization

The process of rounding a measured signal value to the nearest available digital value during analog-to-digital conversion.

Type of data for 'Heads' count

Discrete, because the count can only be a whole number.

Loss of information in digitization

The computer can only store a finite number of values, forcing it to approximate the infinite possibilities.

Continuous data example

A value representing the percentage of a task completed, to an unlimited number of decimal places.

8-bit color system

Discrete, because the values are countable and there are distinct gaps between one shade and the next.

Temperature readings

Continuous, because temperature is a measured value that can take on any value within its range.

32-bit integer data type

There are gaps between the possible values, and the total number of possible values is finite.

Highest fidelity in digitization

Increasing the sampling rate and increasing the number of bits for quantization.