floating-point notation
nounUK /ˌfləʊtɪŋ ˈpɔɪnt nəʊˈteɪʃən/
US /ˌfloʊtɪŋ ˈpɔɪnt noʊˈteɪʃən/
A way to write numbers that uses a decimal point and a power of ten so very big or very small numbers are easy to show.
The computer stores the distance to the stars in floating-point notation.
RELATED WORDS
OTHER MEANINGS
2. A number format in computing that lets a decimal point move to represent a wide range of values.
The program uses floating-point notation to handle tiny fractions.
3. A mathematical way of writing a number as a digit string times a power of ten.
In floating-point notation, 0.00045 is written as 4.5 × 10⁻⁴.
4. A style of displaying numbers where the decimal point's position is stored separately from the digits.
The calculator switches to floating-point notation when the answer gets too long.