floating-point number
The term "floating-point number" is crucial in computer science and mathematics for representing real numbers with a wide range of values and precision.
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Definition
C1Computing
(technical)A number that uses a fraction and an exponent to support a wide range of values, often used for representing real numbers in programming.
Example
- In scientific computing, floating-point numbers are used to handle very large or very small values.
- The value 3.14159 is stored as a floating-point number in the program.
C1Mathematics
(technical)A numerical value represented by a significand and an exponent, allowing for a broad range of values with a fixed number of digits.
Example
- Floating-point numbers are essential for calculations requiring high precision.
- The equation was solved using floating-point arithmetic to ensure accuracy.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "floating-point number":
floating pointfractional numberreal numberdecimal pointdual numberrounding errorimaginary numberfixed point