# Paper on energy per instruction - using an appropriate numerical type

**URL:** <https://discourse.julialang.org/t/paper-on-energy-per-instruction-using-an-appropriate-numerical-type/31216>\
**Category:** Offtopic\
**Created:** [November 18, 2019, 9:55am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/paper-on-energy-per-instruction-using-an-appropriate-numerical-type/31216 "2019-11-18T09:55:58Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 9:55am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/paper-on-energy-per-instruction-using-an-appropriate-numerical-type/31216/1 "2019-11-18T09:55:58Z")

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Several years ago I Read an excellent paper which discussed the knee jerk reaction of using double precision everywhere for scientific computation. The paper analysed the energy use per instruction.  
As I remember the paper was written by someone high up in one of the big semiconductor companies. I could be wrong there.  
I often want to cite this paper in discussions.  
Can anyoen help please with a reference?

IO also may have asked this before on here. I have the memory of a goldfish.

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**Author:** ![dpsanders](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/dpsanders/32/3573_2.png) [@dpsanders](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/dpsanders)\
**Post date:** [November 18, 2019, 11:06pm UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/paper-on-energy-per-instruction-using-an-appropriate-numerical-type/31216/2 "2019-11-18T23:06:14Z")

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Are you maybe referring to John Gustafson and his work on unums, eg his book “The End of Error”?

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**Author:** ![johnh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/julialang/user_avatar/discourse.julialang.org/johnh/32/3615_2.png) [@johnh](https://discourse.julialang.org/u/johnh)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2019, 11:51am UTC](https://discourse.julialang.org/t/paper-on-energy-per-instruction-using-an-appropriate-numerical-type/31216/3 "2019-11-19T11:51:33Z")

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No, not unums as I recall.