high-order bit is interpreted as the sign (0 for +, 1 for -).For example, in a 32-bit word, an unsigned integer has a value from 0 to 1=2³² - 1 = 4,294,967,295, while a signed integer has a value from 1=-2³¹ = -2,147,483,648 to 1=2³¹ - 1 = 2,147,483,647.

Integer overflow results in a stored value which is different from the mathematical value indicated by the operation which was performed. Most commonly, the resulting bit-pattern is the same as if the operation was performed modulo 2^W, where