4 ms·
Is this for implementing faster high precision floating point? It didn't mention 128 bit float.
by foota 10y ago
Is this for implementing faster high precision floating point? It didn't mention 128 bit float.
- gravypod 10y agoFor finance probably but it's mostly useful for statistics from what I understand. I know fortran and Cobol code that banks use and is used for science (tm) often defines numbers this large for certain operations. One such i can think of is a map reduce of large datasets. Let's say you want to find as a result a huge sum. 2^128 is a bit bigger then 2^64 and that difference may be big enough to provide the computation needed for getting to Mars rather then getting to the moon on 2^8 machines.
- foota 10y agoFun fact: there are ~2^50 millimetres from here to mars
- spladug 10y agoThere are? It looks closer to 2^14. 2^50mm is around 7.5 au. Sorry to nitpick, but I thought this was a super interesting point!
- Dylan16807 10y agoI assume you meant to type 47 rather than 14?
- foota 10y agoI rounded a bit over-zealously, thanks for nit picking. It is indeed 2^47.6333. (also assuming you meant 47 not 14.)
- spladug 10y agoWell, that's embarrassing. 2^47 it is! :)
- Keyframe 10y ago128i[3] would be enough for 390x observable universe discrete grid in Euclidean space with nanometer precision. Or 0.39 observable universe with picometer resolution.
- leereeves 10y agoWhat number in finance is bigger than 2^64?
- wtallis 10y agoThe sum of the whole planet's annual GDPs, expressed as US dollars with a precision of cents, requires about 53 bits. Choose a smaller unit or start considering long time spans, and you can easily get uncomfortably close to overflow.
- leereeves 10y agoWhy would you express GDPs, which are estimated to an accuracy of millions of US dollars, with a precision of US cents?
- wott 10y agoRiches are getting richer.
- justincormack 10y agoPOWER9 has hardware 128 bit float, so likely to start becoming relevant soon.