Abstract
A standard for binary floating-point arithmetic is being proposed and there is a very real possibility that it will be adopted by many manufacturers and implemented on a wide range of computers. This development matters to all of us concerned with numerical software. One of the principal motivations for the standard is to distribute more evenly the burden of portability between hardware and software. At present, any program intended to be portable must be designed for a mythical computer that enjoys no capability not supported by every computer on which the program will be run. That mythical computer is so much grubbier than almost any real computer that a portable program will frequently be denigrated as "suboptimal" and then supplanted by another program supposedly "optimal" for the real computer in question but often inferior in critical respects like reliability. A standard --- almost any reasonable standard --- will surely improve the situation. A standard environment for numerical programs will promote fair comparisons and sharing of numerical codes, thereby lowering costs and prices. Furthermore, we have chosen repeatedly to enrich that environment in order that applications programs be simpler and more reliable. Thus will the onus of portability be shared among hardware manufacturers and software producers.
- Palmer, J. (1977) "The INTEL Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic," Proc. COMPSAC, 107--112.Google Scholar
- Coonen, J., W. Kahan, J. Palmer, T. Pittman and D. Stevenson (1979), "A Proposed Standard for Binary Floating Point Arithmetic," This issue, pages xx-yy. Google ScholarDigital Library
- Coonen, J. (1979), "Specifications for a Proposed Standard for Floating-Point Arithmetic," Draft submitted to IEEE Microprocessor Floating-Point Standards Committee, August 26.Google Scholar
- Kahan, W. (1966), "7094-II System Support for Numerical Analysis," SHARE Secretarial Distribution SSD-159, item C4537.Google Scholar
- Brent, R. (1973), "On the Precision Attainable with Various Floating-Point Number Systems," IEEE Trans. Computers, Vol. C-22, No. 6, 601--607.Google Scholar
- Yohe, J. (1973), "Roundings in Floating-Point Arithmetic," IEEE Trans. Computers, Vol. C-22, No. 6, 577--586.Google Scholar
- Moore, R. E. (1966), Interval Analysis, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.Google Scholar
- Kahan, W. (1968), "A More Complete Interval Arithmetic," Lecture Notes for a course at University of Michigan, June 17-21.Google Scholar
- Dekker, T. J. (1971), "A Floating-Point Technique for Extending the Available Precision," Numerische Mathematik, Vol. 18, 224--242.Google ScholarDigital Library
Recommendations
A proposed standard for binary floating point arthmetic
This standard is a product of the Floating Point Working Group of the Microprocessor Standards Subcommittee of the IEEE Computer Society Computer Standards Committee. It is intended that the standard embody the essence of "Specifications For a Proposed ...
A proposed radix- and word-length-independent standard for floating-point arithmetic
The Microprocessor Standards Committee of the IEEE Computer Society sponsors two groups drafting proposed standard for floating-point arithmetic. The first, Task P754, reported Draft 10.0 of a Proposed Standard for Binary Floating-point Arithmetic out ...
Comments