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GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library
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<p>GNU Multiple Precision Arithmetic Library (GMP) is a <a href="/facts/Free_software/IaoVtJXn">free</a> library for <a href="/facts/Arbitrary-precision_arithmetic/cXxc8yB2">arbitrary-precision arithmetic</a>, operating on <a href="/facts/Sign_(mathematics)/z0xollg1">signed</a> <a href="/facts/Integer/PUwwrawx">integers</a>, <a href="/facts/Rational_data_type/6wNSJSBt">rational numbers</a>, and <a href="/facts/Floating-point_arithmetic/eIckahxe">floating-point numbers</a>. There are no practical limits to the precision except the ones implied by the available <a href="/facts/Virtual_memory/Lw2GemF5">memory</a> (operands may be of up to 232−1 bits on 32-bit machines and 237 bits on 64-bit machines). GMP has a rich set of functions, and the functions have a regular interface. The basic interface is for <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C</a>, but <a href="/facts/Wrapper_function/nyy4XUdb">wrappers</a> exist for other languages, including <a href="/facts/Ada_(programming_language)/Y2yHel4l">Ada</a>, <a href="/facts/C%252B%252B/Et0F2qn9">C++</a>, <a href="/facts/C_Sharp_(programming_language)/UC2gxeyb">C#</a>, <a href="/facts/Julia_(programming_language)/AoB0PJ9C">Julia</a>, <a href="/facts/.NET_Framework/J6QDAUhP">.NET</a>, <a href="/facts/OCaml/ThBGLND8">OCaml</a>, <a href="/facts/Perl/fx31kjlT">Perl</a>, <a href="/facts/PHP/vU6YRJX0">PHP</a>, <a href="/facts/Python_(programming_language)/YbuGqofa">Python</a>, <a href="/facts/R_(programming_language)/LSrkr8K8">R</a>, <a href="/facts/Ruby_(programming_language)/BeYSaPSR">Ruby</a>, and <a href="/facts/Rust_(programming_language)/8JNMV19F">Rust</a>. Prior to 2008, <a href="/facts/Kaffe/vXvC8aWw">Kaffe</a>, a <a href="/facts/Java_virtual_machine/l9Nzrsun">Java virtual machine</a>, used GMP to support Java built-in arbitrary precision arithmetic. Shortly after, GMP support was added to <a href="/facts/GNU_Classpath/rMSHp6ce">GNU Classpath</a>. </p><p>The main target applications of GMP are <a href="/facts/Cryptography/e94PEVau">cryptography</a> applications and research, Internet security applications, and <a href="/facts/Computer_algebra_system/jkLAC1U3">computer algebra systems</a>. </p><p>GMP aims to be faster than any other <a href="/facts/Bignum/cXxc8yB2">bignum</a> library for all operand sizes. Some important factors in doing this are: </p> <ul><li>Full <a href="/facts/Word_(data_type)/2e5umRaj">words</a> are the basic type for all arithmetic.</li> <li>Different <a href="/facts/Algorithm/fnl5NmRt">algorithms</a> are used for different <a href="/facts/Operand/HSuUzrKz">operand</a> sizes; algorithms which are more efficient with large numbers are not used when dealing with small numbers.</li> <li><a href="/facts/Assembly_language/7XuV0cla">Assembly language</a> (specialized for different <a href="/facts/Central_processing_unit/Jxp1bqMV">processors</a>) is used in the most common inner loops to <a href="/facts/Optimization_(computer_science)/nXz6RpRM">optimize</a> them as much as possible.</li></ul> <p>The first GMP release was made in 1991. It is constantly developed and maintained. </p><p>GMP is part of the <a href="/facts/GNU/HlAKKBdt">GNU</a> project (although its website being off gnu.org may cause confusion), and is distributed under the <a href="/facts/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License/AXwkz9x3">GNU Lesser General Public License</a> (LGPL). </p><p>GMP is used for integer arithmetic in many <a href="/facts/Computer_algebra_system/jkLAC1U3">computer algebra systems</a> such as <a href="/facts/Mathematica/dRwoGFG2">Mathematica</a> and <a href="/facts/Maple_(software)/L87oPlmy">Maple</a>. It is also used in the <a href="/facts/Computational_Geometry_Algorithms_Library/Dyyl9PGD">Computational Geometry Algorithms Library</a> (CGAL). </p><p>GMP is needed to build the <a href="/facts/GNU_Compiler_Collection/t07jh01k">GNU Compiler Collection</a> (GCC). </p>