Bits To Flip

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Introduction

In computer science, bit manipulation is the act of algorithmically manipulating bits or other pieces of data shorter than a word. Bit manipulation is used in cryptography, error detection and correction algorithms, digital signal processing, and many other fields. In this challenge, we will determine the number of bits to flip to convert int a to int b.


Skills Graph

%%%%{init: {'theme':'neutral'}}%%%% flowchart RL algorithm(("`Algorithm`")) -.-> algorithm/BasicAlgorithmsGroup(["`Basic Algorithms`"]) python(("`Python`")) -.-> python/ControlFlowGroup(["`Control Flow`"]) python(("`Python`")) -.-> python/DataStructuresGroup(["`Data Structures`"]) python(("`Python`")) -.-> python/FunctionsGroup(["`Functions`"]) python(("`Python`")) -.-> python/ObjectOrientedProgrammingGroup(["`Object-Oriented Programming`"]) python(("`Python`")) -.-> python/ErrorandExceptionHandlingGroup(["`Error and Exception Handling`"]) algorithm/BasicAlgorithmsGroup -.-> algorithm/bit_manipulation("`Bit Manipulation`") python/ControlFlowGroup -.-> python/conditional_statements("`Conditional Statements`") python/ControlFlowGroup -.-> python/while_loops("`While Loops`") python/DataStructuresGroup -.-> python/tuples("`Tuples`") python/FunctionsGroup -.-> python/function_definition("`Function Definition`") python/ObjectOrientedProgrammingGroup -.-> python/classes_objects("`Classes and Objects`") python/ObjectOrientedProgrammingGroup -.-> python/encapsulation("`Encapsulation`") python/ErrorandExceptionHandlingGroup -.-> python/raising_exceptions("`Raising Exceptions`") subgraph Lab Skills algorithm/bit_manipulation -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/conditional_statements -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/while_loops -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/tuples -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/function_definition -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/classes_objects -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/encapsulation -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} python/raising_exceptions -.-> lab-268812{{"`Bits To Flip`"}} end

Bits To Flip

Problem

Given two integers A and B, determine the number of bits to flip to convert A to B. For example, if A = 11101 and B = 01111, the number of bits to flip is 2.

Requirements

To solve this problem, we need to consider the following requirements:

  • A and B are always integers.
  • The output is always an integer.
  • A and B are always the same number of bits.
  • The inputs may not be valid (None).
  • The solution should fit in memory.

Example Usage

Here are some examples of how to use this function:

  • If A or B is None, an exception should be raised.
  • If A = 11101 and B = 01111, the number of bits to flip is 2.

Summary

In this challenge, we have learned how to determine the number of bits to flip to convert one integer to another. By following the requirements and examples, we can write a Python function to solve this problem. Bit manipulation is an important concept in computer science, and understanding it can help us write more efficient and effective code.

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