Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun computing A number whose digits of precision are limited only by available memory (as opposed to the usual fixed-point arithmetic).

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

big number

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Examples

  • We have something ready now, and the code in userland looks exactly as what is in the current version of bignum in Opensolaris.

    Sun Bloggers 2009

  • One of the biggest obstacles we faced while improving RSA is that the bignum library (which RSA uses for the expensive multiplication routines) is a kernel module.

    Sun Bloggers 2009

  • New NASL functions (XML parsing, the bignum library, new packet forgery functions, new socket-related functions and more).

    Help Net Security - News 2009

  • · Numeric operations are supported on fixnum, bignum, flonum and complex.

    Softpedia - Windows - All 2009

  • · Numeric operations are supported on fixnum, bignum, flonum and complex.

    Softpedia - Windows - All 2009

  • i've always assumed the obsession with the MWP was some sort of brain-damaged attempt to counter the "unprecedented warming in $bignum years" point illustrated by the hockey stick.

    Cockburning EliRabett 2010

  • "bignum arithmetic", wherein rather large numbers are calculated to a precision of digits limited only by the computer system's available memory.

    The Register 2010

Comments

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  • Bignum is a synonym for "arbitrary precision". Basically it's a adjective or modifier word that indicates that the noun (usually a piece of computer software) is not limited to a fixed precision for its numbers but can calculate to any number of (decimal,binary) places.

    June 26, 2009