Storage-Efficient Representation of Decimal Data Usually n decimal digits are represented by 4n bits in computers. Actually, two BCD digits can be compressed optimally and reversibly into 7 bits, and three digits into 10 bits, by a very simple algorithm based on the fixed-length combination of two variable field-length encodings. In over half of the cases the compressed code results from the conventional BCD code by simple removal of redundant 0 bits. A long decimal message can be subdivided into three-digit blocks, and separately compressed; the result differs from the asymptotic minimum length by only 0.34 percent. The hardware requirement is small, and the mappings can be done manually. CACM January, 1975 Chi Chen, T. Ho, I. T. binary-coded decimal digits, decimal data storage 6.32 6.34 CA750110 JB January 12, 1978 9:42 AM 2729 5 2801 2801 5 2801 2801 5 2801 2801 5 2801 2288 6 2801 2801 6 2801