#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdint.h>
/*
printBinary:
Prints a 32‑bit binary representation of an unsigned integer.
*/
void printBinary(uint32_t value) {
for (int i = 31; i >= 0; --i) {
putchar((value & (1u << i)) ? '1' : '0');
}
putchar('\n');
}
/*
removeEveryNthBit:
Removes every n-th bit starting from LSB (bit 0).
Example:
n = 3 → remove bits 0, 3, 6, 9, ...
Remaining bits are compacted to the right.
*/
uint32_t removeEveryNthBit(uint32_t value, uint32_t n) {
uint32_t result = 0; // Holds the compacted output bits after removal
uint32_t writePos = 0; // Next bit position to write into in 'result'
for (uint32_t readPos = 0; readPos < 32; ++readPos) {
// Determine whether this bit should be removed.
// We remove bits at positions: 0, n, 2n, 3n, ...
int remove = (readPos % n == 0);
// Extract the bit at position readPos from 'value'
uint32_t bit = (value >> readPos) & 1u;
// If the bit is NOT removed, pack it into the next free position
if (!remove) {
result |= (bit << writePos); // Write the bit into the compacted result
++writePos; // Move to the next output bit position
}
}
// Return the compacted bitstream after all removals
return result;
}
/*
zero_bits_every_step:
Shows the number before and after removing every n-th bit.
*/
void zero_bits_every_step(uint32_t value, uint32_t n) {
printf("Original number: %u\n", value);
printBinary(value);
uint32_t result = removeEveryNthBit(value, n);
printf("\nAfter removing every %u-th bit:\n", n);
printBinary(result);
printf("Result value: %u\n", result);
}
int main() {
uint32_t number = 498980827;
uint32_t n = 3; // dynamic: change this to any n you want
zero_bits_every_step(number, n);
return 0;
}
/*
run:
Original number: 498980827
00011101101111011101011111011011
After removing every 3-th bit:
00000000000001101011011001110101
Result value: 439925
*/
