Machine-level Computation
Many processors have instruction sets that support such an operation on primitive types. Some machines have signed integers based on a sign-and-magnitude or one's complement representation (see signed number representations), both of which allow a differentiated positive and negative zero. This does not violate trichotomy as long as we adopt a consistent total order: either -0 = +0 or -0 < +0 is valid. Common floating point types, however, have an exception to trichotomy: there is a special value "NaN" (Not a Number) such that x < NaN, x > NaN, and x = NaN are all false for all floating-point values x (including NaN itself).
Read more about this topic: Three-way Comparison
Famous quotes containing the word computation:
“I suppose that Paderewski can play superbly, if not quite at his best, while his thoughts wander to the other end of the world, or possibly busy themselves with a computation of the receipts as he gazes out across the auditorium. I know a great actor, a master technician, can let his thoughts play truant from the scene ...”
—Minnie Maddern Fiske (1865–1932)