mantissa
Meaning: The fractional part of a logarithm, or in computing, the significant digits of a floating-point number that determine its precision.
In traditional logarithm tables, the mantissa is the decimal part that follows the characteristic (the integer part). In computer science, the mantissa (also called the significand) is the part of a floating-point number that carries its significant digits, separate from the exponent. The term is confined to mathematics, computer science, and engineering, and is rarely encountered outside these disciplines. It is a useful marker of technical literacy.
Examples
- Students were taught to look up the mantissa in logarithm tables before electronic calculators made the process obsolete. 在电子计算器使这一过程过时之前,学生们被教导在对数表中查找尾数。A los alumnos se les enseñaba a buscar la mantisa en las tablas de logaritmos antes de que las calculadoras electrónicas hicieran obsoleto el proceso.電子計算機がその作業を不要にする以前、生徒たちは対数表から仮数を引くことを教わった。전자 계산기가 그 과정을 불필요하게 만들기 전까지 학생들은 대수표에서 가수를 찾는 법을 배웠다.
- The IEEE 754 standard allocates twenty-three bits for the mantissa in a single-precision floating-point number. IEEE 754标准在单精度浮点数中为尾数分配了二十三个比特。La norma IEEE 754 asigna veintitrés bits a la mantisa en un número en coma flotante de precisión simple.IEEE 754規格は、単精度浮動小数点数の仮数部に23ビットを割り当てている。IEEE 754 표준은 단정밀도 부동소수점 수의 가수부에 23비트를 할당한다.
- Rounding errors accumulate when the mantissa of a floating-point calculation lacks sufficient precision for the problem at hand. 当浮点计算的尾数精度不足以解决手头的问题时,舍入误差会不断累积。Los errores de redondeo se acumulan cuando la mantisa de un cálculo en coma flotante carece de precisión suficiente para el problema en cuestión.浮動小数点演算の仮数部の精度が問題に対して不十分な場合、丸め誤差が蓄積される。부동소수점 연산의 가수부 정밀도가 해당 문제에 충분하지 않을 경우 반올림 오차가 누적된다.
Pronunciation
Usage Guide
Context: scientific, academic
Tone: neutral
Origin & History
From Latin mantissa (an addition, makeweight, something of small value). The mathematical sense was introduced by Henry Briggs in the early 17th century when he published the first common logarithm tables.
Cultural Context
Era: Modern
Generation: All ages
Social background: Universal
More From This Topic
More from General Advanced
Flashcards, quizzes, audio pronunciation & spaced repetition — all free