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<!-- This manual describes how to install and use the GNU multiple precision
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arithmetic library, version 6.1.0.
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Copyright 1991, 1993-2015 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
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Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under
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<head>
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<title>Float Internals (GNU MP 6.1.0)</title>
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<meta name="description" content="How to install and use the GNU multiple precision arithmetic library, version 6.1.0.">
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<meta name="keywords" content="Float Internals (GNU MP 6.1.0)">
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<link href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" rel="index" title="Concept Index">
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<link href="Internals.html#Internals" rel="up" title="Internals">
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<link href="Raw-Output-Internals.html#Raw-Output-Internals" rel="next" title="Raw Output Internals">
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<link href="Rational-Internals.html#Rational-Internals" rel="prev" title="Rational Internals">
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</head>
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<a name="Float-Internals"></a>
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<div class="header">
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<p>
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Next: <a href="Raw-Output-Internals.html#Raw-Output-Internals" accesskey="n" rel="next">Raw Output Internals</a>, Previous: <a href="Rational-Internals.html#Rational-Internals" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Rational Internals</a>, Up: <a href="Internals.html#Internals" accesskey="u" rel="up">Internals</a> [<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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</div>
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<hr>
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<a name="Float-Internals-1"></a>
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<h3 class="section">16.3 Float Internals</h3>
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<a name="index-Float-internals"></a>
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<p>Efficient calculation is the primary aim of GMP floats and the use of whole
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limbs and simple rounding facilitates this.
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</p>
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<p><code>mpf_t</code> floats have a variable precision mantissa and a single machine
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word signed exponent. The mantissa is represented using sign and magnitude.
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</p>
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<div class="example">
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<pre class="example"> most least
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significant significant
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limb limb
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_mp_d
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|---- _mp_exp ---> |
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_____ _____ _____ _____ _____
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|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|
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. <------------ radix point
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<-------- _mp_size --------->
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</pre></div>
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<p>The fields are as follows.
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</p>
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<dl compact="compact">
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<dt><code>_mp_size</code></dt>
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<dd><p>The number of limbs currently in use, or the negative of that when
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representing a negative value. Zero is represented by <code>_mp_size</code> and
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<code>_mp_exp</code> both set to zero, and in that case the <code>_mp_d</code> data is
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unused. (In the future <code>_mp_exp</code> might be undefined when representing
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zero.)
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><code>_mp_prec</code></dt>
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<dd><p>The precision of the mantissa, in limbs. In any calculation the aim is to
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produce <code>_mp_prec</code> limbs of result (the most significant being non-zero).
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><code>_mp_d</code></dt>
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<dd><p>A pointer to the array of limbs which is the absolute value of the mantissa.
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These are stored “little endian” as per the <code>mpn</code> functions, so
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<code>_mp_d[0]</code> is the least significant limb and
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<code>_mp_d[ABS(_mp_size)-1]</code> the most significant.
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</p>
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<p>The most significant limb is always non-zero, but there are no other
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restrictions on its value, in particular the highest 1 bit can be anywhere
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within the limb.
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</p>
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<p><code>_mp_prec+1</code> limbs are allocated to <code>_mp_d</code>, the extra limb being
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for convenience (see below). There are no reallocations during a calculation,
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only in a change of precision with <code>mpf_set_prec</code>.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt><code>_mp_exp</code></dt>
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<dd><p>The exponent, in limbs, determining the location of the implied radix point.
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Zero means the radix point is just above the most significant limb. Positive
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values mean a radix point offset towards the lower limbs and hence a value
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<em>>= 1</em>, as for example in the diagram above. Negative exponents mean
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a radix point further above the highest limb.
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</p>
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<p>Naturally the exponent can be any value, it doesn’t have to fall within the
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limbs as the diagram shows, it can be a long way above or a long way below.
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Limbs other than those included in the <code>{_mp_d,_mp_size}</code> data
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are treated as zero.
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</p></dd>
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</dl>
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<p>The <code>_mp_size</code> and <code>_mp_prec</code> fields are <code>int</code>, although the
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<code>mp_size_t</code> type is usually a <code>long</code>. The <code>_mp_exp</code> field is
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usually <code>long</code>. This is done to make some fields just 32 bits on some 64
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bits systems, thereby saving a few bytes of data space but still providing
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plenty of precision and a very large range.
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</p>
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<br>
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<p>The following various points should be noted.
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</p>
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<dl compact="compact">
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<dt>Low Zeros</dt>
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<dd><p>The least significant limbs <code>_mp_d[0]</code> etc can be zero, though such low
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zeros can always be ignored. Routines likely to produce low zeros check and
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avoid them to save time in subsequent calculations, but for most routines
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they’re quite unlikely and aren’t checked.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Mantissa Size Range</dt>
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<dd><p>The <code>_mp_size</code> count of limbs in use can be less than <code>_mp_prec</code> if
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the value can be represented in less. This means low precision values or
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small integers stored in a high precision <code>mpf_t</code> can still be operated
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on efficiently.
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</p>
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<p><code>_mp_size</code> can also be greater than <code>_mp_prec</code>. Firstly a value is
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allowed to use all of the <code>_mp_prec+1</code> limbs available at <code>_mp_d</code>,
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and secondly when <code>mpf_set_prec_raw</code> lowers <code>_mp_prec</code> it leaves
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<code>_mp_size</code> unchanged and so the size can be arbitrarily bigger than
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<code>_mp_prec</code>.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Rounding</dt>
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<dd><p>All rounding is done on limb boundaries. Calculating <code>_mp_prec</code> limbs
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with the high non-zero will ensure the application requested minimum precision
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is obtained.
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</p>
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<p>The use of simple “trunc” rounding towards zero is efficient, since there’s
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no need to examine extra limbs and increment or decrement.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Bit Shifts</dt>
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<dd><p>Since the exponent is in limbs, there are no bit shifts in basic operations
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like <code>mpf_add</code> and <code>mpf_mul</code>. When differing exponents are
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encountered all that’s needed is to adjust pointers to line up the relevant
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limbs.
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</p>
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<p>Of course <code>mpf_mul_2exp</code> and <code>mpf_div_2exp</code> will require bit shifts,
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but the choice is between an exponent in limbs which requires shifts there, or
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one in bits which requires them almost everywhere else.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Use of <code>_mp_prec+1</code> Limbs</dt>
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<dd><p>The extra limb on <code>_mp_d</code> (<code>_mp_prec+1</code> rather than just
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<code>_mp_prec</code>) helps when an <code>mpf</code> routine might get a carry from its
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operation. <code>mpf_add</code> for instance will do an <code>mpn_add</code> of
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<code>_mp_prec</code> limbs. If there’s no carry then that’s the result, but if
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there is a carry then it’s stored in the extra limb of space and
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<code>_mp_size</code> becomes <code>_mp_prec+1</code>.
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</p>
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<p>Whenever <code>_mp_prec+1</code> limbs are held in a variable, the low limb is not
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needed for the intended precision, only the <code>_mp_prec</code> high limbs. But
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zeroing it out or moving the rest down is unnecessary. Subsequent routines
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reading the value will simply take the high limbs they need, and this will be
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<code>_mp_prec</code> if their target has that same precision. This is no more than
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a pointer adjustment, and must be checked anyway since the destination
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precision can be different from the sources.
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</p>
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<p>Copy functions like <code>mpf_set</code> will retain a full <code>_mp_prec+1</code> limbs
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if available. This ensures that a variable which has <code>_mp_size</code> equal to
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<code>_mp_prec+1</code> will get its full exact value copied. Strictly speaking
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this is unnecessary since only <code>_mp_prec</code> limbs are needed for the
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application’s requested precision, but it’s considered that an <code>mpf_set</code>
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from one variable into another of the same precision ought to produce an exact
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copy.
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</p>
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</dd>
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<dt>Application Precisions</dt>
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<dd><p><code>__GMPF_BITS_TO_PREC</code> converts an application requested precision to an
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<code>_mp_prec</code>. The value in bits is rounded up to a whole limb then an
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extra limb is added since the most significant limb of <code>_mp_d</code> is only
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non-zero and therefore might contain only one bit.
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</p>
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<p><code>__GMPF_PREC_TO_BITS</code> does the reverse conversion, and removes the extra
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limb from <code>_mp_prec</code> before converting to bits. The net effect of
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reading back with <code>mpf_get_prec</code> is simply the precision rounded up to a
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multiple of <code>mp_bits_per_limb</code>.
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</p>
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<p>Note that the extra limb added here for the high only being non-zero is in
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addition to the extra limb allocated to <code>_mp_d</code>. For example with a
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32-bit limb, an application request for 250 bits will be rounded up to 8
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limbs, then an extra added for the high being only non-zero, giving an
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<code>_mp_prec</code> of 9. <code>_mp_d</code> then gets 10 limbs allocated. Reading
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back with <code>mpf_get_prec</code> will take <code>_mp_prec</code> subtract 1 limb and
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multiply by 32, giving 256 bits.
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</p>
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<p>Strictly speaking, the fact the high limb has at least one bit means that a
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float with, say, 3 limbs of 32-bits each will be holding at least 65 bits, but
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for the purposes of <code>mpf_t</code> it’s considered simply to be 64 bits, a nice
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multiple of the limb size.
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</p></dd>
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</dl>
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<hr>
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<div class="header">
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<p>
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Next: <a href="Raw-Output-Internals.html#Raw-Output-Internals" accesskey="n" rel="next">Raw Output Internals</a>, Previous: <a href="Rational-Internals.html#Rational-Internals" accesskey="p" rel="prev">Rational Internals</a>, Up: <a href="Internals.html#Internals" accesskey="u" rel="up">Internals</a> [<a href="Concept-Index.html#Concept-Index" title="Index" rel="index">Index</a>]</p>
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