This document discusses different number systems used in computing including binary, octal, decimal, and hexadecimal. It explains that computers use the binary system because switches can be in one of two states, on or off, represented by 1 and 0. The document provides methods for converting between number bases, such as dividing a decimal number repeatedly by 2 to get the binary equivalent or using place values. Octal is introduced as a way to represent binary numbers more compactly using digits 0-7.