| slovo | definícia |
lost in the underflow
(foldoc) | lost in the underflow
Too small to be worth considering; more specifically,
small beyond the limits of accuracy or measurement. This is a
reference to "floating point underflow".
The Hacker's Jargon File claimed that it is also a pun on
"undertow" (a kind of fast, cold current that sometimes runs
just offshore and can be dangerous to swimmers).
"Well, sure, photon pressure from the stadium lights alters
the path of a thrown baseball, but that effect gets lost in
the underflow".
Compare epsilon, epsilon squared; see also overflow bit.
(1997-09-05)
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lost in the underflow
(jargon) | lost in the underflow
adj.
Too small to be worth considering; more specifically, small beyond the
limits of accuracy or measurement. This is a reference to floating
underflow, a condition that can occur when a floating-point arithmetic
processor tries to handle quantities smaller than its limit of magnitude.
It is also a pun on ‘undertow’ (a kind of fast, cold current that sometimes
runs just offshore and can be dangerous to swimmers). “Well, sure, photon
pressure from the stadium lights alters the path of a thrown baseball, but
that effect gets lost in the underflow.” Compare epsilon, {epsilon
squared}; see also overflow bit.
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