RoundingRounding means replacing a number with an approximate value that has a shorter, simpler, or more explicit representation. For example, replacing with, the fraction 312/937 with 1/3, or the expression with . Rounding is often done to obtain a value that is easier to report and communicate than the original. Rounding can also be important to avoid misleadingly precise reporting of a computed number, measurement, or estimate; for example, a quantity that was computed as but is known to be accurate only to within a few hundred units is usually better stated as "about ". Arbitrary-precision arithmeticIn computer science, arbitrary-precision arithmetic, also called bignum arithmetic, multiple-precision arithmetic, or sometimes infinite-precision arithmetic, indicates that calculations are performed on numbers whose digits of precision are limited only by the available memory of the host system. This contrasts with the faster fixed-precision arithmetic found in most arithmetic logic unit (ALU) hardware, which typically offers between 8 and 64 bits of precision.
Lattice problemIn computer science, lattice problems are a class of optimization problems related to mathematical objects called lattices. The conjectured intractability of such problems is central to the construction of secure lattice-based cryptosystems: Lattice problems are an example of NP-hard problems which have been shown to be average-case hard, providing a test case for the security of cryptographic algorithms. In addition, some lattice problems which are worst-case hard can be used as a basis for extremely secure cryptographic schemes.
Least common multipleIn arithmetic and number theory, the least common multiple, lowest common multiple, or smallest common multiple of two integers a and b, usually denoted by lcm(a, b), is the smallest positive integer that is divisible by both a and b. Since division of integers by zero is undefined, this definition has meaning only if a and b are both different from zero. However, some authors define lcm(a, 0) as 0 for all a, since 0 is the only common multiple of a and 0.
Liouville numberIn number theory, a Liouville number is a real number with the property that, for every positive integer , there exists a pair of integers with such that Liouville numbers are "almost rational", and can thus be approximated "quite closely" by sequences of rational numbers. Precisely, these are transcendental numbers that can be more closely approximated by rational numbers than any algebraic irrational number can be. In 1844, Joseph Liouville showed that all Liouville numbers are transcendental, thus establishing the existence of transcendental numbers for the first time.
Division by zeroIn mathematics, division by zero is division where the divisor (denominator) is zero. Such a division can be formally expressed as , where a is the dividend (numerator). In ordinary arithmetic, the expression has no meaning, as there is no number that, when multiplied by 0, gives a (assuming ); thus, division by zero is undefined (a type of singularity). Since any number multiplied by zero is zero, the expression is also undefined; when it is the form of a limit, it is an indeterminate form.
Siegel's lemmaIn mathematics, specifically in transcendental number theory and Diophantine approximation, Siegel's lemma refers to bounds on the solutions of linear equations obtained by the construction of auxiliary functions. The existence of these polynomials was proven by Axel Thue; Thue's proof used Dirichlet's box principle. Carl Ludwig Siegel published his lemma in 1929. It is a pure existence theorem for a system of linear equations. Siegel's lemma has been refined in recent years to produce sharper bounds on the estimates given by the lemma.
Floor and ceiling functionsIn mathematics and computer science, the floor function is the function that takes as input a real number x, and gives as output the greatest integer less than or equal to x, denoted ⌊x⌋ or floor(x). Similarly, the ceiling function maps x to the least integer greater than or equal to x, denoted ⌈x⌉ or ceil(x). For example (floor), ⌊2.4⌋ = 2, ⌊−2.4⌋ = −3, and for ceiling; ⌈2.4⌉ = 3, and ⌈−2.4⌉ = −2. Historically, the floor of x has been–and still is–called the integral part or integer part of x, often denoted [x] (as well as a variety of other notations).
Sylvester's sequenceIn number theory, Sylvester's sequence is an integer sequence in which each term is the product of the previous terms, plus one. The first few terms of the sequence are 2, 3, 7, 43, 1807, 3263443, 10650056950807, 113423713055421844361000443 . Sylvester's sequence is named after James Joseph Sylvester, who first investigated it in 1880. Its values grow doubly exponentially, and the sum of its reciprocals forms a series of unit fractions that converges to 1 more rapidly than any other series of unit fractions.
