Why is decimal arithmetic unnormalized?
It is quite possible for decimal arithmetic to be normalized, even if the encoding (representation) of numbers is not. A floating-point unit can easily offer both normalized and unnormalized arithmetic, either under the control of a context flag or by a specific ‘normalize’ instruction (the latter being especially appropriate in a RISC design). However, for decimal arithmetic, intended as a tool for human use, the choice of unnormalized arithmetic is dictated by the need to mirror manual calculations and other human conventions. A normalized (non-redundant) arithmetic is suitable for purely mathematical calculations, but is inadequate for many other applications. Note that the unnormalized arithmetic gives exactly the same mathematical value for every result as normalized arithmetic would, but has the following additional advantages. • Unnormalized arithmetic is compatible with existing languages and applications. Decimal arithmetic in computing almost invariably uses scaled integer ca
It is quite possible for decimal arithmetic to be normalized, even if the encoding (representation) of numbers is not. A floating-point unit can easily offer both normalized and unnormalized arithmetic, either under the control of a context flag or by a specific ‘normalize’ instruction (the latter being especially appropriate in a RISC design). However, for decimal arithmetic, intended as a tool for human use, the choice of unnormalized arithmetic is dictated by the need to mirror manual calculations and other human conventions. A normalized (non-redundant) arithmetic is suitable for purely mathematical calculations, but is inadequate for many other applications. Note that the unnormalized arithmetic gives exactly the same mathematical value for every result as normalized arithmetic would, but has the following additional advantages. • Unnormalized arithmetic is compatible with existing languages and applications. Decimal arithmetic in computing almost invariably uses scaled integer ca
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