fixed-point

programming A number representation scheme where a number R

is represented by an integer N such that R=N*B, where B is

the (assumed) base of the representation.

On computers with no floating-point unit fixed-point

calculations can be significantly faster as all the operations

are basically integer operations. Apart from that,

fixed-point representation has the advantage of having uniform

density, i.e., the smallest resolvable difference of the

representation is B throughout the representable range, in

sharp contrast to floating-point representations.

(1998-05-18)