What is excess-k?

Answer 1

Excess-k is a method used in coding theory, particularly in the representation of floating-point numbers. It involves adding a constant value, known as the "excess," to the actual exponent value to ensure that all possible exponent values are non-negative. This technique simplifies comparisons and arithmetic operations on floating-point numbers. The most common example of excess-k representation is the IEEE 754 standard for floating-point arithmetic.