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Floating Point Types

• Model real numbers, but only as approximations

• In any particular numeric domain, the model numbers are the set of exactly representable numbers

• Languages for scientific use support at least two floating-point types; sometimes more

• Usually exactly like the hardware, but not always; some languages allow accuracy specs in code (e.g., Ada):

      type Speed is
          digits 7 range 0.0..1000.0;
      type Voltage is
          delta 0.1 range -12.0..24.0;
  

• See book for representation (p. 199)