[whatshisface]

>The word */ multiplies by a ratio, with a double-length intermediate product. It eliminates the need for floating-point.

Anyone who knows a lot about numeric stuff care to comment on this statement?

[bugfix-66]

It's just a fixed point instruction.

Fixed point multiply: a*m times b*m yields (a*b)*m = a*m * b*m / m

In the above, m is the fixed point 1. For example, 65536 for a 16.16 fixed point.

The instruction allows you to multiply a*m by b*m and then divide by m, renormalizing your fixed point result.

Chuck Moore thinks nobody needs floating point because fixed point is sufficient!

[Someone]

And, importantly, the double-length intermediate result prevents the rapid loss of precision, compared to the naive alternatives of

  : */ * 65536 / :

and

  : */ 65536 / * ;