Approximating Float Multiplication with Bit Manipulation: A Neat Trick
2025-02-13
This article explores a clever method for approximating float multiplication using bit manipulation. The approach involves casting floats to integers, adding them, adjusting the exponent, and casting back to a float. While this method fails catastrophically with exponent overflow or underflow, its accuracy is surprisingly good for most cases, staying within 7.5% of the correct result. The author delves into the underlying principles, explaining why simple addition can approximate multiplication. Although likely less efficient than native float multiplication in practice, its simplicity and potential for power savings in specific scenarios make it an interesting exploration.
Development
approximation algorithm