title: Convert -51 to a signed magnitude binary number using the smallest of bits to represent it
body: <p>I got this question from a textbook, I'm not sure I am understanding the "using the smallest number of bits" part. </p>
  
  <p>51 in binary is <code>0011 0011</code></p>
  
  <p>I thought to get -51, we convert to two's compliment.</p>
  
  <pre><code>    0011 0011
     -flip bits-
      1100 1100
     - add one -
      ---------
      1100 1101
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>So <code>1100 1101</code> is -51 in two's compliment. But how do we represent that in signed magnitude with the smallest number of bits? Confused by that part. </p>