integer

These times may be faster by a factor of about three if double-precision arithmetic is as fast as integer arithmetic. At commonly used lower precisions (20 to 60 decimal digits), the overhead involved in a general multiple-precision package reduces this potential speedup factor.

(*) According to NEC measurements of integer arithmetic performance in a 4-socket configuration

More complicated methods, due to von Neumann, Forsythe, and others have also been available, and they often perform better than the simple approach, if assembly language and a fast uniform generator are used, or if the speed of integer arithmetic substantially exceeds that of floating point.

Results are similar for modern 32-bit (or 16-bit) CPU's: integer arithmetic produces the bit patterns consistent with arithmetic modulo [2.sup.32] (or [2.sup.16]), with interpretation in a particular residue system left to the user.

- The Fujitsu-developed SPARC64 X CPU delivers some of the fastest integer arithmetic performance in the world(2), using Software on Chip to execute certain software processes, including decimal arithmetic, encryption, and copying.

Park and Miller [1988] presented a portable program based on simple integer arithmetic. The technique also works for generators with modulus [2.sup.61] - 1, if the compiler used supports 64-bit integer arithmetic.