a form of number representation in which quantities are represented by a bounded number (mantissa) and a scale factor (characteristic or exponent) consisting of a power of the number base, a method for storing and calculating numbers in which the decimal points do not line up as in fixed point numbers. The significant digits are stored as a unit called the mantissa, and the location of the radix point (decimal point in base 10) is stored in a separate unit called the exponent. Floating point methods are used for calculating a large range of numbers quickly. Floating point operations can be implemented in hardware (math coprocessor), or they can be done in software. In large sysems, they can also be performed in a separate floating point processor that is connected to the main processor via a channel.