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From: Vlad-Alexandru Oprea on 16 Oct 2009 16:43
Hy,

I need to calculate a function that uses very small numbers, like (1/2^106), and the 'double' range stops around (1/2^15).

Does anyone have an idea?

Thank you very much.
From: Steven Lord on 16 Oct 2009 17:23

"Vlad-Alexandru Oprea" <vlad.oprea(a)cti.pub.ro> wrote in message
news:hbalsl$dkn$1(a)fred.mathworks.com...
> Hy,
>
> I need to calculate a function that uses very small numbers, like
> (1/2^106), and the 'double' range stops around (1/2^15).

The 'double' range does not stop around (1/2^15):

x = (1/2^50)
y = (1/2^106)

If you're interested in more information about how numbers are stored and
worked with in double precision, Cleve explains it pretty well in the Fall
1996 Cleve's Corner article:

http://www.mathworks.com/company/newsletters/news_notes/clevescorner/

> Does anyone have an idea?

If you need higher precision than double or to work with numbers outside the
range of numbers that double can handle, look at Symbolic Math Toolbox.

--
Steve Lord
slord(a)mathworks.com
comp.soft-sys.matlab (CSSM) FAQ: http://matlabwiki.mathworks.com/MATLAB_FAQ


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