Ordered sequences of binary integers are used in "Gray Codes" and "Karnaugh Maps". Gray codes are ordered sequences of binary digits that represent state changes in digital devices. A Karnaugh map is an optimization technique used to minimize the number of logical devices in a digital circuit. A Karnaugh map groups n-tuples of binary digits into patterns that minimize the number of devices needed to implement a circuit.

Researchers are investigating multi-state computing using biological devices, quantum devices, and optical devices. The multi-state nature of these devices can be modeled with binary representations, however multi-state representations might be more appropriate.