4 ms·
It's not actually a storage optimization. A number is either NaN (mantissa != 0) or Inf (mantissa == 0).
by klodolph 5y ago
It's not actually a storage optimization. A number is either NaN (mantissa != 0) or Inf (mantissa == 0).
- quietbritishjim 5y agoI think they meant that having the same exponent, even though they are logically different numbers, is a storage optimisation.
- Dylan16807 5y agoWhat's your definition of storage optimization, where zero and nonzero mantissas meaning completely different things doesn't qualify?
- klodolph 5y agoZero and nonzero mantissas always mean different things, no matter what the exponent is. I guess I am not sure how this could be described as an optimization... an optimization relative to what? Some hypothetical floating-point format which has extra bits?
- Dylan16807 5y ago> Zero and nonzero mantissas always mean different things, no matter what the exponent is. They don't normally mean different types of value. 4.0000000 and 4.0000001 are just different adjacent numbers. > I guess I am not sure how this could be described as an optimization... an optimization relative to what? Some hypothetical floating-point format which has extra bits? Using the exponent to distinguish, like the format uses for normal/subnormal/nonfinite. Or using extra bits, sure. They took a bit pattern that would have been a NaN if not for Infinity, and used it to store Infinity.