Can Unsigned Long Int Store Ten-Digit Numbers in C ?

Storing Ten-Digit Numbers in C Integer Types

When dealing with large numbers, it's crucial to understand the storage capacities of various integer types. This article examines the ranges of values that unsigned long int, long int, unsigned int, short int, short unsigned int, and int can store in C .

Minimum Guaranteed Ranges

The minimum ranges that can be relied upon are:

• short int and int: -32,767 to 32,767
• unsigned short int and unsigned int: 0 to 65,535
• long int: -2,147,483,647 to 2,147,483,647
• unsigned long int: 0 to 4,294,967,295

Inability of Unsigned Long Int to Store Ten-Digit Numbers

Based on the above ranges, unsigned long int cannot be relied upon to store any ten-digit number (1,000,000,000 - 9,999,999,999) on a 32-bit computer. Its maximum representable value is 4,294,967,295, which falls short of the required range.

Alternative Option: Long Long Int

However, C introduces a larger type, long long int, which offers a wider range:

• long long int: -9,223,372,036,854,775,807 to 9,223,372,036,854,775,807
• unsigned long long int: 0 to 18,446,744,073,709,551,615

This type is capable of storing ten-digit numbers, making it a suitable choice for this purpose.

Note on Lower Bounds

It's worth noting that the minimum ranges defined in the C standard allow for non-two's complement representations. This means that, technically, the lowest representable value for int might not be -32,768.

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