What is Quaternary numeral system?
A '''quaternary [[numeral system]]''' uses the digits 0, 1, 2, and 3 to represent any [[real number]]. It is a [[Radix|base]]-[[4 (number)|4]] system, which means it works in a similar way to how we count in regular decimal numbers, but with only four possible digits. Converting from [[Binary number|binary]] (a base-2 system) to quaternary is easy. The number four is a useful choice for a base in counting because it is the highest number that can be quickly recognized without counting each item one by one ([[subitizing]]). It is also both a square number and a [[highly composite number]] (in the same way 36 is), making it quite easy. Despite being twice as large as binary, it has the same [[radix economy]] for counting. However, it is not the best choice for identifying prime numbers (the smallest better choice being the [[primorial]] base six, or [[senary]]). Quaternary is like other numeral systems with a fixed-[[Base (mathematics)|radix]] in that it has certain properties, such as the capability to represent any real number using a standard representation that is almost unique. Additionally, it has similar characteristics for the representation of [[Irrational number|irrational]] and [[Rational number|rational numbers]] as systems like [[decimal]] or [[binary]]. See discussions on binary and decimal for more information on these properties. {{math-stub}} [[Category:Numbering systems]]