GNU Info

(gmp.info)Floating-point Functions

---

Next: Low-level Functions Prev: Rational Number Functions Up: Top

---

Enter node , (file) or (file)node

Floating-point Functions
************************

   GMP floating point numbers are stored in objects of type `mpf_t' and
functions operating on them have an `mpf_' prefix.

   The mantissa of each float has a user-selectable precision, limited
only by available memory.  Each variable has its own precision, and
that can be increased or decreased at any time.

   The exponent of each float is a fixed precision, one machine word on
most systems.  In the current implementation the exponent is a count of
limbs, so for example on a 32-bit system this means a range of roughly
2^-68719476768 to 2^68719476736, or on a 64-bit system this will be
greater.  Note however `mpf_get_str' can only return an exponent which
fits an `mp_exp_t' and currently `mpf_set_str' doesn't accept exponents
bigger than a `long'.

   Each variable keeps a size for the mantissa data actually in use.
This means that if a float is exactly represented in only a few bits
then only those bits will be used in a calculation, even if the
selected precision is high.

   All calculations are performed to the precision of the destination
variable.  Each function is defined to calculate with "infinite
precision" followed by a truncation to the destination precision, but
of course the work done is only what's needed to determine a result
under that definition.

   The precision selected for a variable is a minimum value, GMP may
increase it a little to facilitate efficient calculation.  Currently
this means rounding up to a whole limb, and then sometimes having a
further partial limb, depending on the high limb of the mantissa.  But
applications shouldn't be concerned by such details.

   `mpf' functions and variables have no special notion of infinity or
not-a-number, and applications must take care not to overflow the
exponent or results will be unpredictable.  This might change in a
future release.

   Note that the `mpf' functions are _not_ intended as a smooth
extension to IEEE P754 arithmetic.  In particular results obtained on
one computer often differ from the results on a computer with a
different word size.

Initializing Floats

Assigning Floats

Simultaneous Float Init & Assign

Converting Floats

Float Arithmetic

Float Comparison

I/O of Floats

Miscellaneous Float Functions