Overflow error

Definition

An overflow error occurs when a calculation exceeds the maximum limit that a data type can store. This results in an incorrect value due to the limitation of the storage capacity.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Overflow errors can occur with both integer and floating-point operations.
2. Python uses arbitrary-precision arithmetic for integers, reducing but not eliminating overflow errors.
3. Floating-point numbers in Python follow the IEEE 754 standard, which has fixed precision and range.
4. Common causes of overflow include large exponentiations and summing large sequences of numbers.
5. Detecting overflow errors requires careful handling and sometimes using special libraries or data types.

Review Questions

• What is an overflow error and how does it occur?
• Why are floating-point numbers susceptible to overflow errors?
• How does Python handle integer overflows differently compared to floating-point overflows?

Related terms

Underflow Error: Occurs when a number is too small to be represented within the range allowed by a data type, leading to a loss of precision.

Precision: Describes the level of detail with which a number is expressed. In computing, it refers to the number of digits used to represent values.

IEEE 754: A technical standard for floating-point computation established by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).