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 ANSI Common Lisp    12 Numbers    12.2 Dictionary of Numbers
 
| 12.2.4  float | 
System Class | 
  
 - Class Precedence List:
 - 
float,
real,
number,
t
  - Description:
 - 
A float
is a mathematical rational (but not a Common Lisp rational)
of the form
s f be-p,
where s is +1 or -1, the sign;
b is an integer 
greater than 1, the base or radix of the representation;
p is a positive integer, 
the precision (in base-b digits) of the float;
f is a positive integer 
between bp-1 and
bp-1 (inclusive), the significand;
and e is an integer, the exponent.
The value of p and the range of e
depends on the implementation and on the type of float 
within that implementation. In addition, there is a floating-point zero;
depending on the implementation, there can also be a "minus zero". If there
is no minus zero, then 0.0 and -0.0 are both interpreted as simply a
floating-point zero.
(= 0.0 -0.0) is always true.  
If there is a minus zero, (eql -0.0 0.0) is false,
otherwise it is true.
The types short-float, single-float, double-float, 
and long-float are subtypes of type float.  Any two of them must be
either disjoint types or the same type;
if the same type, then any other types between them in the
above ordering must also be the same type.  For example, 
if the type single-float and the type long-float are the same type,
then the type double-float must be the same type also.
 
  - Compound Type Specifier Kind:
 - 
Abbreviating.
  - Compound Type Specifier Syntax:
 - 
(float [lower-limit [upper-limit)]]
  - Compound Type Specifier Arguments:
 - 
lower-limit, upper-limit - interval designators 
					   for type float.
The defaults for each of lower-limit and upper-limit is the symbol *.
  - Compound Type Specifier Description:
 - 
This denotes the floats on the interval described by
lower-limit and upper-limit.
  - See Also:
 - 
Figure 2.3.1 Numbers as Tokens,
Section 2.3.2 Constructing Numbers from Tokens,
Section 22.1.3.1.3 Printing Floats
  - Notes:
 - 
Note that all mathematical integers are representable not only as
Common Lisp reals, but also as complex floats.  For example,
possible representations of the mathematical number 1 
include the integer 1,
        the float 1.0,
     or the complex #C(1.0 0.0).  
  - Allegro CL Implementation Details:
 - 
 None.
  
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