what is a base in math

In mathematics, a base is the number of different digits or combination of digits that a number system uses to represent numbers. The most commonly used base in everyday arithmetic is base 10, which uses the digits 0-9. Other commonly used bases include base 2 (binary), base 8 (octal), and base 16 (hexadecimal). The base of a number system often determines how numbers are represented and how arithmetic operations are performed.