3 ms·
Zero 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...
by klodolph 5y ago
Zero 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.