Significand: meaning, definitions and examples
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significand
[ sɪɡˈnɪfɪkənd ]
mathematics, statistics
In mathematics and statistics, a significand is the part of a number that contains its significant digits. It represents the precision of the number and is vital in scientific calculations where the accuracy of measurements is pertinent.
Synonyms
coefficient, decimal part, mantissa.
Examples of usage
- The significand of 3.14 is 3.14.
- In scientific notation, 6.022 x 10^23 has a significand of 6.022.
- When rounding numbers, it's important to consider the significand.
Etymology
The term 'significand' is derived from the word 'significant', which comes from the Latin word 'significare', meaning 'to signify' or 'to indicate'. The suffix '-and' is used in mathematical contexts to denote a specific type of quantity. It has been used in various mathematical fields since at least the mid-20th century, particularly in relation to floating-point representation in computer science. The idea of separating the significand from the exponent in scientific notation allows for clearer communication of the precision of numbers.