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Question: Can you explain floating point number storage? How does C/C++ represent a float in memory (binary format)?
Asked by James (24.234.128.x) on May 12 2011, 4:57pm
Reply on May 12 2011, 5:08pm:
    To oversimplify: Think of scientific notation, i.e. x.xxxxx * 10^y, where you have a relatively normal sized number, and a scale.

    Of course, the reality is that rather it being X*10^Y, it is actually +-1.X * 2^Y, with a bit deciding whether its + or -, and some bits to define Y, and the majority of the bits defining X. Then there are some special cases for 0 and infinity and so on...
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