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Normally the issues you raise are handled by the optimizer. | 661 comments | Create New Account

Comments belong to whoever posts them. Please notify us of inappropriate comments.

The Linux kernel does not use floating point

Authored by: Nick_UK on Friday, March 29 2013 @ 07:23 AM EDT

Yes, but it is still maths. Remember, all these algorithms etc. where around
before computers, and using boolian/fpu/floating point is still basic maths
algorithms.

Nick

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

Normally the issues you raise are handled by the optimizer.

Authored by: jesse on Friday, March 29 2013 @ 08:18 AM EDT

This is done to try to maintain the precision of the numbers.

Now the issues still rises, but not in that form. It would be necessary that the
"a + b" be computed in one place, "a - b" computed in a
second place, then the results added together in a third.

The place problems really occur expressions like "a < 1.85"... and
a is supposed to equal 1.85.

In these cases the constant is converted to binary by the compiler.. and the
variable is converted by a runtime system operating under different
requirements.

I used to have to multipy the "a" value by 100 (and convert to
integer) to compare to 185. That worked, where using floating point would not.

[ Reply to This | Parent | # ]

About binary representations - Authored by: coats on Friday, March 29 2013 @ 12:57 PM EDT
- About binary representations - Authored by: Anonymous on Friday, March 29 2013 @ 01:18 PM EDT
  - About binary representations - Authored by: Anonymous on Tuesday, April 02 2013 @ 03:02 AM EDT
- Yup. - Authored by: jesse on Saturday, March 30 2013 @ 05:53 AM EDT

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