Superoptimizing an FPU emulator
- October 16, 2026Superoptimization is the process where a compiler automatically finds the optimal sequence for a loop-free sequence of instructions.– WikipediaCompilers are good at making mechanical transformations that make code faster.
- Unfortunately, most of them are not as good at non-trivial reasoning, so they can’t invent a completely novel approach to solving your problem.
- When designing a library for floating-point calculations, I had to implement a function that takes a float f and produces a float corresponding to the lowest set bit in f.
Unverified
- October 16, 2026Superoptimization is the process where a compiler automatically finds the optimal sequence for a loop-free sequence of instructions.– WikipediaCompilers are good at making mechanical transformations that make code faster.
- Unfortunately, most of them are not as good at non-trivial reasoning, so they can’t invent a completely novel approach to solving your problem.
- When designing a library for floating-point calculations, I had to implement a function that takes a float f and produces a float corresponding to the lowest set bit in f.
Sources: Purplesyringa