MACHINE
Table of Machine Constants


MACHINE is a set of FORTRAN77 routines which return machine constants for integer and single and double precision quantities.

We assume that integer are represented using S digits in base A:

Sign * ( X(S-1)*A**(S-1) + ... + X(1)*A + X(0))
and that real numbers are represented using a mantissa T, base B and exponent E as:
Sign * T * BE

D1MACH returns quantities associated with double precision arithmetic, including:

  1. B**(EMIN-1), the smallest positive magnitude.
  2. B**EMAX*(1-B**(-T)), the largest magnitude.
  3. B**(-T), the smallest relative spacing.
  4. B**(1-T), the largest relative spacing.
  5. log10(B)

I1MACH returns quantities associated with integer arithmetic, as well as some integer quantities associated with real and double precision arithmetic, and other machine-specific information.

  1. the standard input unit.
  2. the standard output unit.
  3. the standard punch unit.
  4. the standard error message unit.
  5. the number of bits per integer storage unit.
  6. the number of characters per integer storage unit.
  7. A, the base for integers.
  8. S, the number of base A digits in an integer.
  9. A**S-1, the largest integer.
  10. B, the base for single and double precision numbers.
  11. T, the number of base B digits for single precision.
  12. EMIN, the smallest exponent E for single precision.
  13. EMAX, the largest exponent E for single precision.
  14. T, the number of base B digits for double precision.
  15. EMIN, the smallest exponent E for double precision.
  16. EMAX, the largest exponent E for double precision.

R1MACH returns quantities associated with single precision arithmetic, including:

  1. B**(EMIN-1), the smallest positive magnitude.
  2. B**EMAX*(1-B**(-T)), the largest magnitude.
  3. B**(-T), the smallest relative spacing.
  4. B**(1-T), the largest relative spacing.
  5. log10(B)

Related Data and Programs:

MACHAR is a FORTRAN77 library of routines which can compute machine arithmetic quantities dynamically.

MACHINE is also available in a C version and a C++ version and a FORTRAN90 version and a MATLAB version.

SLATEC is a FORTRAN90 library which includes MACHINE.

STARPAC is a FORTRAN77 statistical analysis package which uses MACHINE.

Reference:

  1. Phyllis Fox, Andrew Hall, Norman Schryer,
    Algorithm 528: Framework for a Portable Library,
    ACM Transactions on Mathematical Software,
    Volume 4, Number 2, June 1978, page 176-188.
  2. http://www.netlib.org/toms/528
    the NETLIB web site for ACM TOMS algorithms.

Source Code:

Examples and Tests:

List of Routines:

You can go up one level to the FORTRAN77 source codes.


Last revised on 08 December 2007.