Newsgroups: comp.arch
Path: utzoo!henry
From: henry@utzoo.uucp (Henry Spencer)
Subject: Re: negative addresses (really unsigned arithmetic)
Message-ID: <1988May31.225044.7052@utzoo.uucp>
Organization: U of Toronto Zoology
References: <2393@uvacs.CS.VIRGINIA.EDU> <9485@apple.Apple.Com>
Date: Tue, 31 May 88 22:50:44 GMT

> ... undeflow is still possible!

Underflow/overflow is possible in both signed and unsigned arithmetic,
but my experience is that people are much less likely to think about it
for unsigned arithmetic.  They're used to the idea of magnitude limits,
but not used to said limits not being roughly symmetrical around zero.

> This argument might be valid if we were discussing what sort of
> arithmetic to use on your machine.  But the subject is what sort of
> arithmetic to design into new machines...

The specific question I was answering was not that tightly phrased.
-- 
"For perfect safety... sit on a fence|  Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
and watch the birds." --Wilbur Wright| {ihnp4,decvax,uunet!mnetor}!utzoo!henry
