Definition:Byte

Definition

The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of $8$ bits.

It is usually encountered in its context as the code for a single typographical character.

Also defined as

While it is standard now to refer to a byte as a string of exactly $8$ bits, this is not completely universal.

In the early days of computer science in particular, the nature of a byte was dependent upon the machine on which it was implemented.

Hence a byte could be $8$ bits, $2$ bits or $32$ bits, and so on.

It is still occasionally possible to encounter this usage in contemporary accounts, but except for historical treatises, this is more rare than it used to be.

Also see

• Definition:ASCII

• Results about bytes can be found here.

Sources

• 1989: Ephraim J. Borowski and Jonathan M. Borwein: Dictionary of Mathematics ... (previous) ... (next): byte
• 1998: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (2nd ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): byte
• 2008: David Nelson: The Penguin Dictionary of Mathematics (4th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): byte
• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): binary digit
• 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): byte
• 2021: Richard Earl and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (6th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): byte