# how MIX subtractions works with “packed” words

Im reading the Knuth's book TAOCP. And im just learning a simple math operations with registers. And there is an example of subtraction operation:

rA before: - | 1234 | 0| 0| 9
Cell 1000: - | 2000 |  150| 0
SUB 1000
rA after:  + | 766  | 149 | ?


i understand that -1234-(-2000) = 766 but how (0 | 0) - 150 = 149 ??

and why 9 - 0 = ?

These are "packed" words. And maybe i need to read more about them. Or can anyone explain ?

-

The problem is that in MIX the byte size is not fixed. In | 2000 | 150| 0, although we know that the (3:4) field contains 150 we don't know what the (3:3) and (4:4) fields are individually.
A 6-bit-per-byte computer sees the low end of the computation as $$150\times 64 - 9 = 9591 = 149\times 64 + 55,$$so 149 is stored in the (3:4) field and 55 in the (5:5) field.
A 7-bit-per-byte computer sees the low end of the computation as $$150\times 128 - 9 = 19191 = 149\times 128 + 119,$$ so 149 is stored in the (3:4) field and 119 in the (5:5) field.