IEC 60559:1989. Floating-point arithmetic
This international standard defines the characteristics of the floating-point arithmetic used in computers and other digital systems. It applies to both single-precision and double-precision floating-point formats.
The standard defines the representation and characteristics of the floating-point numbers, including the sign bit, the exponent range and format, and the normalization of numbers. It also describes the operations that can be performed on these numbers, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and square root.
The standard is written in language that is independent of any computer language or hardware architecture, such as C++ or Java.
The standard also describes numerous details that must be taken into consideration when implementing a computer system that includes floating point operations, such as:
– The size and range of the exponent
– The size and range of the significand
– The conditions under which an overflow or underflow occurs
– Rounding rules for results of operations
The standard also addresses issues related to the accuracy of the results of operations. Because of the finite size of the exponent, some operations may produce an exact result, but only for a limited range of operands. In addition, the accuracy of the results of some expressions is limited by the precision of the input data.
It is important to note that this standard does not address the implementation of the floating-point elements in any particular system. Issues such as coding techniques and design optimization are not addressed in this standard.
The primary purpose of the standard is to ensure the interoperability of data and programs across different computer architectures and languages. This standard is useful for any system that uses floating-point numbers, such as:
– Scientific applications that process large quantities of data
– Computer graphics applications
– Multimedia applications
– Computer-aided engineering (CAE) applications
– Database applications
– Business applications
The standard is also useful for anyone developing new computer systems or applications. The standard provides guidance on the design of floating point hardware and software components.
