Universal numbers (data format)
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Universal numbers, or unums, are a replacement for IEEE-754 floating-point numbers proposed by John Gustafson.
Posits are the most recent version of Gustafson's proposal. They have variable-sized index and mantissa bitfields, with the split being specified by a "regime" indicator. Gustafson claims that they offer better precision than standard floating-point numbers while taking up fewer bits.[1][2]
Gustafson has published a book, The End of Error: Unum Computing, describing an earlier version of his system and its advantages.[3] Posits are a more recent version of the same general scheme.
References
- ↑ Feldman, Michael (2019-07-08). "New Approach Could Sink Floating Point Computation" (in en-US). https://www.nextplatform.com/2019/07/08/new-approach-could-sink-floating-point-computation/.
- ↑ Byrne, Michael (2016-04-24). "A New Number Format for Computers Could Nuke Approximation Errors for Good" (in en-US). https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/kb7zxa/a-new-number-format-for-computers-could-nuke-approximation-errors-for-good.
- ↑ Gustafson, John L. (2015). The end of error: unum computing. Boca Raton, Florida. ISBN 978-1482239874. OCLC 907941317.
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