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{{Floating-point}}
{{Computer architecture bit widths}}
In [[computing]], '''quadruple precision''' (or '''quad precision''') is a binary [[Floating-point arithmetic|floating-point]]–based [[computer number format]] that occupies 16 bytes (128 bits) with precision at least twice the
This 128-bit quadruple precision is designed not only for applications requiring results in higher than double precision,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bailey |first1=David H. |last2=Borwein |first2=Jonathan M. |date=July 6, 2009 |title=High-Precision Computation and Mathematical Physics |url=https://www.davidhbailey.com/dhbpapers/dhb-jmb-acat08.pdf}}</ref> but also, as a primary function, to allow the computation of double precision results more reliably and accurately by minimising overflow and [[round-off error]]s in intermediate calculations and scratch variables. [[William Kahan]], primary architect of the original IEEE 754 floating-point standard noted, "For now the [[extended precision#x86 Architecture Extended Precision Format|10-byte Extended format]] is a tolerable compromise between the value of extra-precise arithmetic and the price of implementing it to run fast; very soon two more bytes of precision will become tolerable, and ultimately a 16-byte format ... That kind of gradual evolution towards wider precision was already in view when [[IEEE 754|IEEE Standard 754 for Floating-Point Arithmetic]] was framed."<ref>{{cite book|first=Nicholas | last=Higham |title="Designing stable algorithms" in Accuracy and Stability of Numerical Algorithms (2 ed)| publisher=SIAM|year=2002 | pages=43 }}</ref>
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