Least significant bit
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In computing, the least significant bit (lsb) is the bit position in a binary integer giving the units value, that is, determining whether the number is even or odd. The lsb is sometimes referred to as the right-most bit, due to the convention in positional notation of writing less significant digits further to the right. It is analogous to the least significant digit of a decimal integer, which is the digit in the ones (right-most) position.
In referencing specific bits within a binary number, each bit is assigned a bit number, ranging from zero to n (depending on the number of bits in the number.) The phrase bit zero may refer to either the lsb or the most significant bit (msb), depending on the bit-numbering endianness.
By extension, the least significant bits (plural) are the bits of the number closest to, and including, the lsb.
The least significant bits have the useful property of changing rapidly if the number changes even slightly. For example, if 1 (binary 00000001) is added to 3 (binary 00000011), the result will be 4 (binary 00000100) and three of the least significant bits will change (011 to 100). By contrast, the three most significant bits stay unchanged (000 to 000).
Least significant bits are frequently employed in pseudorandom number generators, hash functions and checksums.
LSB, in all capitals, can also stand for "least significant byte". The meaning is parallel to the above: it is the byte in that position of a multi-byte number which has the least potential value.