Re: [bug-gawk] New multiplication algorighm

[Peter Brooks]

Thank you - that’s the answer. I’ll ask about the MPFR library.

I asked here because awk uses arbitrary length numbers.

Sent from my iPad

> On 19 Apr 2019, at 17:45, Andrew J. Schorr <address@hidden> wrote:
> 
>> On Fri, Apr 19, 2019 at 12:47:33PM +0200, Peter Brooks wrote:
>> 
>> I was just wondering if there were any plans to use this new algorithm I the 
>> future.
>> 
>> https://www.sciencealert.com/mathematicians-just-discovered-an-astonishing-new-way-to-multiply-numbers-together
>> 
> 
> That's theoretically interesting, but I don't think it's a gawk issue. If I'm
> not mistaken, gawk multiplies numbers either by using the CPU's built-in
> multiplication capability for integer or floating-point values, or by using a
> compiler algorithm if the CPU doesn't directly support multiplying the types 
> in
> question, or by using the mpfr library when -M is used.  So if this new
> algorithm is to be used, it will have to be implemented in the CPU, the C
> compiler, or the MPFR library. I think the only place this might be
> relevant is in the MPFR library for handling very large numbers...
> 
> Regards,
> Andy