Reverse Bits of a Number in DSA C# - Build from Scratch

Reverse Bits of a Number

📖 Scenario: Imagine you are working with a simple digital device that stores numbers in binary form. Sometimes, you need to reverse the order of bits in a number to decode a message or fix a signal.

🎯 Goal: You will write a program that takes a number, reverses its bits, and shows the reversed bit pattern as a new number.

📋 What You'll Learn

Create an integer variable called number with the value 13

Create an integer variable called reversed to store the reversed bits

Use a for loop to reverse the bits of number

Print the value of reversed after reversing the bits

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Reversing bits is useful in low-level programming, data encoding, and communication protocols where bit order matters.

💼 Career

Understanding bitwise operations and bit manipulation is important for software engineers working with embedded systems, cryptography, and performance optimization.

1

Create the number variable

Create an integer variable called number and set it to 13.

DSA C#

# Your code here

Hint

Use int number = 13; to create the variable.

2

Create the reversed variable

Create an integer variable called reversed and set it to 0.

DSA C#

int number = 13;
# Your code here

Hint

Initialize reversed to zero before starting the reversal.

3

Reverse the bits using a for loop

Use a for loop with variable i from 0 to 31 to reverse the bits of number. Inside the loop, shift reversed left by 1, then add the least significant bit of number. Then shift number right by 1.

DSA C#

int number = 13;
int reversed = 0;
# Your code here

Hint

Use bitwise operators: & to get the last bit, |= to add it, and <<= to shift left.

4

Print the reversed number

Print the value of reversed using Console.WriteLine(reversed);.

DSA C#

int number = 13;
int reversed = 0;
for (int i = 0; i >= 1;
}
# Your code here

Hint

The reversed bits of 13 produce the number 2952790016.

Practice

1. What does the operation of reversing bits of a number mean in simple terms?

easy

A. Adding 1 to the binary number

B. Changing all 0s to 1s and 1s to 0s

C. Shifting bits to the left by one position

D. Flipping the order of bits from left to right

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand bit order

   Bits are arranged from left (most significant) to right (least significant).

2. Step 2: Reverse means flip order

   Reversing bits means the leftmost bit becomes rightmost and vice versa.

3. Final Answer:

   Flipping the order of bits from left to right -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   Reverse bits = flip order [OK]

Hint: Reverse bits means flip their order, not invert values [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing reversing bits with bitwise NOT (inverting bits)
• Thinking reversing means shifting bits
• Assuming reversing adds or subtracts from the number

2. Which of the following C# code snippets correctly reverses the bits of a 4-bit number stored in an integer variable n?

easy

A. int reversed = 0; for(int i=0; i<4; i++) { reversed <<= 1; reversed |= (n & 1); n >>= 1; }

B. int reversed = 0; for(int i=0; i<4; i++) { reversed |= (n & 1) << i; n >>= 1; }

C. int reversed = n << 4;

D. int reversed = ~n;

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze the loop logic in int reversed = 0; for(int i=0; i<4; i++) { reversed <<= 1; reversed |= (n & 1); n >>= 1; }

   It shifts reversed left by 1, adds least bit of n, then shifts n right by 1, effectively reversing bits.

2. Step 2: Check other options

   int reversed = 0; for(int i=0; i<4; i++) { reversed |= (n & 1) << i; n >>= 1; } does not reverse bits, it copies bits in same order. int reversed = n << 4; shifts bits left, not reverse. int reversed = ~n; inverts bits, not reverse.

3. Final Answer:

   Option A code correctly reverses bits -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   Shift left + OR + shift right = reverse bits [OK]

Hint: Shift reversed left, OR with last bit, shift input right [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using bitwise NOT (~) instead of reversing bits
• Shifting bits without combining properly
• Not updating reversed variable inside loop

3. What is the output of the following C# code snippet?

int n = 13; // binary 1101
int reversed = 0;
for (int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
  reversed <<= 1;
  reversed |= (n & 1);
  n >>= 1;
}
Console.WriteLine(reversed);

medium

A. 11

B. 7

C. 13

D. 14

Solution

1. Step 1: Convert 13 to 4-bit binary

   13 in binary (4 bits) is 1101.

2. Step 2: Reverse bits step-by-step

   Bits: 1 1 0 1 reversed: 1 0 1 1 which is binary 1011 = decimal 11.

3. Final Answer:

   11 -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   1101 reversed = 1011 = 11 [OK]

Hint: Reverse bits manually and convert to decimal [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Not limiting to 4 bits, causing wrong output
• Confusing bit order when reversing
• Assuming reversed number equals original

4. Identify the error in the following C# code that attempts to reverse bits of an 8-bit number:

int ReverseBits(int n) {
  int reversed = 0;
  for (int i = 0; i < 8; i++) {
    reversed |= (n & 1) << i;
    n >>= 1;
  }
  return reversed;
}

medium

A. The variable reversed should be initialized to 1

B. The loop should run 16 times for 8-bit numbers

C. The bits are not reversed; they are copied in the same order

D. The shift operator << is used incorrectly

Solution

1. Step 1: Analyze bit placement in loop

   The code places bits at increasing positions without reversing order.

2. Step 2: Understand reversing bits logic

   Reversing requires shifting reversed left and OR with last bit, not shifting bits by i.

3. Final Answer:

   The bits are not reversed; they are copied in the same order -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   Shifting bits by i copies order, not reverse [OK]

Hint: Reversing needs shifting reversed left each step, not shifting bits by i [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using bit shift by loop index instead of shifting reversed
• Incorrect loop count for bit size
• Initializing reversed incorrectly

5. You want to reverse the bits of a 16-bit unsigned integer and then check if the reversed number is a palindrome in binary (reads the same forwards and backwards). Which approach correctly combines reversing bits and palindrome check?

hard

A. Invert bits using bitwise NOT, then check if inverted equals original

B. Reverse bits using a loop shifting reversed left and OR with last bit, then compare reversed with original

C. Shift original number left by 16 bits, then compare with original

D. Reverse bits by shifting bits by index, then check if reversed equals original

Solution

1. Step 1: Reverse bits correctly

   Use loop to shift reversed left, OR with last bit of original, shift original right.

2. Step 2: Check palindrome by comparing reversed and original

   If reversed equals original, bits form a palindrome.

3. Final Answer:

   Reverse bits using a loop shifting reversed left and OR with last bit, then compare reversed with original -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   Reverse bits + compare = palindrome check [OK]

Hint: Reverse bits properly, then compare to original for palindrome [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using bitwise NOT instead of reversing bits
• Shifting bits incorrectly causing wrong reverse
• Comparing inverted bits instead of reversed bits