Smallest integer

[hlreed]

An integer is a number with a sign, so it can be negative, zero or positive. The rule is: let the most significant bit be sign bit. If it is on, the number is negative. The way you do that is to add the largest negative number to the 0 to n count of the number.
Try this with one bit. Its most significant bit is the only bit. Its largest negative number is 1.
The integer is -1 and 0. Not very useful.
With two bits, we have an integer. Here we have
count, two bit count, integer and integer value.
0 00 10 -2
1 01 11 -1
2 10 00 0
3 11 01 1
This matches all integers as long as the most significant bit is observed. (To add a two bit integer to an x bit integer, shift the two bit integer until its matched with the most significant bit of the x bit integer.)
To make an x bit integer, add (or subtract) the largest negative number from the count number. For 8 bits you add 80h to xxh to get the integer.
00h 80h
01h 81h
02h 81h
...
7Fh FFh
80h 00h
...
FFh 7Fh