Arbitrary precision
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Arbitrary precision mathematical libraries allow computer programs to perform calculations and then specify how many digits will be used for the result. They can handle numbers of any arbitrary size, and perform calculations to any requested precision. An arbitrary precision library is similar to a Bignum library.
Uses
For most applications, arbitrary precision is not necessary. However, there are many applications that deal with very large or very small numbers, or require extremely precise results. Examples of fields that might require such precision might be:
- astronautics
- biotechnology
- computerized weaponry, such as missile targeting
- encryption algorithms
- engineering
- nanotechnology
- theoretical physics
Software examples
- BCMath - the PHP binary calculator functions
- Bc programming language - the POSIX / GNU binary calculator
- Dc programming language - the POSIX desk calculator
- GNU Multi-Precision Library - the GNU multiple precision arithmetic library