18.1 Hardware
The limits on computing caused by hardware stem from several factors. One factor is that numbers are infinite, but the representation of them within the computer is not. Another problem with hardware is just the fact that it is hardware; that is, it is made up of mechanical and electronic components that can fail. Another set of problems occurs when data is transmitted from one internal device to another or from one computer to another. Let’s look at each of these problems and some strategies to minimize their impact.
Limits on Arithmetic
We discussed numbers and their representation in the computer in Chapters 2 and 3. There are limitations imposed by computer hardware on the representations of both integer numbers and real ...
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