Stereochemistry: assigning R/S and Z/E

Stereoisomers share the same connectivity but differ in spatial arrangement. An asymmetric carbon $\text{C}^*$ bears four different substituents. Two enantiomers are non-superimposable mirror images; stereoisomers that are not mirror images are diastereomers. With $n$ asymmetric carbons: at most $2^n$ stereoisomers.