Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!uunet!ibmpa!slo!jsalter
From: jsalter@slo.uucp (James Salter)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: what does NaN mean out of printf?
Message-ID: <1455@ibmpa.UUCP>
Date: 19 Jul 89 18:14:55 GMT
References: <20283@adm.BRL.MIL> <23490@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>
Sender: news@ibmpa.UUCP
Reply-To: jsalter@slo.UUCP (James Salter)
Organization: IBM AWD, Palo Alto
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In article <23490@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu (RAMontante) writes:
>NaN == Not a Number
>
>i.e., not a legitimate floating-point value.  I'm reasonably certain that
>this is defined by the IEEE floating-point format standard.

A NaN is the Floating Point representation of non-legitimite (?) values.
There are both Signalling NaNs and Quiet NaNs which operate differently
with respect to exception handling.

>the sorcerer's apprentice

jim/jsalter   PS/2 MathLib/FP   IBM AWD, Palo Alto   T465/(415)855-4427 
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  "Reality Corrupts. Absolute Reality corrupts Absolutely." -- kaydin