Floating-point arithmetic is the most widely used way of implementing real-number arithmetic on modern computers. However, making such an arithmetic reliable and portable, yet fast, is a very difficult task. As a result, floating-point arithmetic is far from being exploited to its full potential. This handbook aims to provide a complete overview of modern floating-point arithmetic. So that the techniques presented can be put directly into practice in actual coding or design, they are illustrated, whenever possible, by a corresponding program. The handbook is designed for programmers of numerical applications, compiler designers, programmers of floating-point algorithms, designers of arithmetic operators, and more generally, students and researchers in numerical analysis who wish to better understand a tool used in their daily work and research.

Jean-Michel Muller (coordinator), CNRS, Laboratoire LIP, AriC teamNicolas Brunie, KalrayFlorent de Dinechin, INSA Lyon, Laboratoire CITI, Socrate teamClaude-Pierre Jeannerod, Inria, Laboratoire LIP, AriC teamMioara Joldes, CNRS, LAAS, MAC teamVincent Lefèvre, Inria, Laboratoire LIP, AriC teamGuillaume Melquiond, Inria, Laboratoire LRI, Toccata teamNathalie Revol, Inria, Laboratoire LIP, AriC teamSerge Torres, ENS de Lyon, Laboratoire LIP, AriC team