Re: [clisp-list] (/ 1.0 most-positive-single-float) and least-positive-single-float

[Christopher B. <cbb...@gm...>]

On Mon, Dec 15, 2008 at 6:41 PM, Alexey Beshenov <al...@be...> wrote:
> clisp 2.44.1 gives (on my machine)
>
>  least-positive-single-float => 1.1754944E-38
>  most-positive-single-float => 3.4028235E38
>  (/ 1.0 most-positive-single-float) => floating point underflow
>
> while sbcl 1.0.18 gives
>
>  least-positive-single-float => 1.4012985e-45
>  most-positive-single-float => 3.4028235e38
>  (/ 1.0 most-positive-single-float) => 2.938736e-39
>
> Which is right?

I wouldn't necessarily assume that any of these are wrong.

These values each indicate the limits of the respective
implementations' floating point values, and there are evidently
non-linear behaviours at the edges, which would seem supported by the
fact that the "least positive" and "most positive" values are not
reciprocals of one another.
-- 
http://linuxfinances.info/info/linuxdistributions.html
Chevy Chase  - "Parrots make great pets. They have more personality
than goldfish."