Difference between revisions of "Floating Point"
From ExoDictionary
m (1 revision(s)) |
|
(No difference)
| |
Revision as of 09:32, 9 April 2007
This definition page has been automatically generated. You can help ExoDictionary by expanding, updating, or correcting it. |
| This autostub has not yet had its initial copyediting proof and may contain significant formatting and even factual errors. You can improve Exodictionary by cleaning up the page markup and verifying that the definition is correct and then removing this tag. |
| This autostub has not yet had its initial categorization proof and may be categorized incorrectly. You can improve Exodictionary by removing inappropriate categories and then removing this tag. |
Floating Point
</dt>
In computer operations, a positional
notation in which corresponding places in different quantities are not
necessarily occupied by coefficient of the same power of the base. Compare fixed
point.
</dd>
''Floating point corresponds to multiplication using powers of 10; for
example, 186,000 can be represented as 1.86 * 105. By shifting the
point so that the number of significant digits in any quantity does not exceed
machine capacity, widely varying quantities can be handled. The scale factor
may be fixed for each problem, or indicated along with the digits and sign for
each quantity. [[/a>|/a>
]]</dd>
References
This article is based on NASA's Dictionary of Technical Terms for Aerospace Use
