[PATCH] math: Optimize frexp with fast path for normal numbers

Osama Abdelkader osama.abdelkader@gmail.com
Tue Oct 21 14:58:17 GMT 2025


Add fast path optimization to frexp family functions for normal floating-point
numbers, which represent most of real-world usage. The optimization uses a
single unsigned comparison to identify normal numbers and returns immediately
via bit manipulation, avoiding branches and floating-point operations.

Performance improvements:
- Fewer branches
- Better branch prediction: __glibc_likely hints for common case

The key insight is the check (ex - 1) < MAX_NORMAL_EXPONENT with unsigned
arithmetic, which elegantly identifies normal numbers while excluding zero,
subnormal, infinity, and NaN values.

Files modified:
- sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c
- sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c
- sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c
- sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c

All existing tests pass, maintaining exact correctness for all edge cases.

Suggested-by:  Wilco Dijkstra <Wilco.Dijkstra@arm.com>
Signed-off-by: Osama Abdelkader <osama.abdelkader@gmail.com>
---
 sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c    | 29 ++++++++++++++------------
 sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c   | 31 ++++++++++++++++++----------
 sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c | 32 +++++++++++++++++++----------
 sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c  | 29 +++++++++++++++++---------
 4 files changed, 76 insertions(+), 45 deletions(-)

diff --git a/sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c b/sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c
index 9c45819d4d..d873790f32 100644
--- a/sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c
+++ b/sysdeps/ieee754/dbl-64/s_frexp.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 #include <inttypes.h>
 #include <math.h>
 #include <math_private.h>
+#include "math_config.h"
 #include <libm-alias-double.h>
 
 /*
@@ -36,22 +37,24 @@ __frexp (double x, int *eptr)
 {
   int64_t ix;
   EXTRACT_WORDS64 (ix, x);
-  int32_t ex = 0x7ff & (ix >> 52);
-  int e = 0;
+  uint32_t ex = 0x7ff & (ix >> 52);
 
-  if (__glibc_likely (ex != 0x7ff && x != 0.0))
+  /* Fast path for normal numbers.  */
+  if (__glibc_likely ((ex - 1) < 0x7fe))
     {
-      /* Not zero and finite.  */
-      e = ex - 1022;
-      if (__glibc_unlikely (ex == 0))
-	{
-	  /* Subnormal.  */
-	  x *= 0x1p54;
-	  EXTRACT_WORDS64 (ix, x);
-	  ex = 0x7ff & (ix >> 52);
-	  e = ex - 1022 - 54;
-	}
+      *eptr = ex - 1022;
+      return asdouble ((ix & INT64_C (0x800fffffffffffff)) | INT64_C (0x3fe0000000000000));
+    }
 
+  /* Handle special cases: zero, subnormal, infinity, NaN.  */
+  int e = 0;
+  if (__glibc_likely (ex != 0x7ff && x != 0.0))
+    {
+      /* Subnormal.  */
+      x *= 0x1p54;
+      EXTRACT_WORDS64 (ix, x);
+      ex = 0x7ff & (ix >> 52);
+      e = ex - 1022 - 54;
       ix = (ix & INT64_C (0x800fffffffffffff)) | INT64_C (0x3fe0000000000000);
       INSERT_WORDS64 (x, ix);
     }
diff --git a/sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c b/sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c
index 59fef66a6b..46f4cb2497 100644
--- a/sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c
+++ b/sysdeps/ieee754/flt-32/s_frexpf.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ static char rcsid[] = "$NetBSD: s_frexpf.c,v 1.5 1995/05/10 20:47:26 jtc Exp $";
 
 #include <math.h>
 #include <math_private.h>
+#include "math_config.h"
 #include <libm-alias-float.h>
 
 static const float
@@ -25,19 +26,27 @@ two25 =  3.3554432000e+07; /* 0x4c000000 */
 
 float __frexpf(float x, int *eptr)
 {
-	int32_t hx,ix;
+	int32_t hx;
 	GET_FLOAT_WORD(hx,x);
-	ix = 0x7fffffff&hx;
+	uint32_t ex = 0xff & (hx >> 23);
+
+	/* Fast path for normal numbers.  */
+	if (__glibc_likely ((ex - 1) < 0xfe))
+	  {
+	    *eptr = ex - 126;
+	    return asfloat ((hx & 0x807fffff) | 0x3f000000);
+	  }
+
+	/* Handle special cases: zero, subnormal, infinity, NaN.  */
+	int32_t ix = 0x7fffffff & hx;
 	*eptr = 0;
-	if(ix>=0x7f800000||(ix==0)) return x + x;	/* 0,inf,nan */
-	if (ix<0x00800000) {		/* subnormal */
-	    x *= two25;
-	    GET_FLOAT_WORD(hx,x);
-	    ix = hx&0x7fffffff;
-	    *eptr = -25;
-	}
-	*eptr += (ix>>23)-126;
-	hx = (hx&0x807fffff)|0x3f000000;
+	if (ix >= 0x7f800000 || (ix == 0)) return x + x;	/* 0,inf,nan */
+	/* Subnormal */
+	x *= two25;
+	GET_FLOAT_WORD(hx,x);
+	ix = hx & 0x7fffffff;
+	*eptr = (ix >> 23) - 126 - 25;
+	hx = (hx & 0x807fffff) | 0x3f000000;
 	SET_FLOAT_WORD(x,hx);
 	return x;
 }
diff --git a/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c b/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c
index e4db093a05..1649a5a20a 100644
--- a/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c
+++ b/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-128/s_frexpl.c
@@ -35,19 +35,29 @@ two114 = L(2.0769187434139310514121985316880384E+34); /* 0x4071000000000000, 0 *
 
 _Float128 __frexpl(_Float128 x, int *eptr)
 {
-	uint64_t hx, lx, ix;
+	uint64_t hx, lx;
 	GET_LDOUBLE_WORDS64(hx,lx,x);
-	ix = 0x7fffffffffffffffULL&hx;
+	uint64_t ex = 0x7fff & (hx >> 48);
+
+	/* Fast path for normal numbers.  */
+	if (__glibc_likely ((ex - 1U) < 0x7ffe))
+	  {
+	    *eptr = ex - 16382;
+	    hx = (hx & 0x8000ffffffffffffULL) | 0x3ffe000000000000ULL;
+	    SET_LDOUBLE_MSW64(x,hx);
+	    return x;
+	  }
+
+	/* Handle special cases: zero, subnormal, infinity, NaN.  */
+	uint64_t ix = 0x7fffffffffffffffULL & hx;
 	*eptr = 0;
-	if(ix>=0x7fff000000000000ULL||((ix|lx)==0)) return x + x;/* 0,inf,nan */
-	if (ix<0x0001000000000000ULL) {		/* subnormal */
-	    x *= two114;
-	    GET_LDOUBLE_MSW64(hx,x);
-	    ix = hx&0x7fffffffffffffffULL;
-	    *eptr = -114;
-	}
-	*eptr += (ix>>48)-16382;
-	hx = (hx&0x8000ffffffffffffULL) | 0x3ffe000000000000ULL;
+	if (ix >= 0x7fff000000000000ULL || ((ix | lx) == 0)) return x + x;/* 0,inf,nan */
+	/* Subnormal */
+	x *= two114;
+	GET_LDOUBLE_MSW64(hx,x);
+	ix = hx & 0x7fffffffffffffffULL;
+	*eptr = (ix >> 48) - 16382 - 114;
+	hx = (hx & 0x8000ffffffffffffULL) | 0x3ffe000000000000ULL;
 	SET_LDOUBLE_MSW64(x,hx);
 	return x;
 }
diff --git a/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c b/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c
index c610704cca..1e99c6ed9c 100644
--- a/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c
+++ b/sysdeps/ieee754/ldbl-96/s_frexpl.c
@@ -41,18 +41,27 @@ two65 =  3.68934881474191032320e+19L; /* 0x4040, 0x80000000, 0x00000000 */
 
 long double __frexpl(long double x, int *eptr)
 {
-	uint32_t se, hx, ix, lx;
+	uint32_t se, hx, lx;
 	GET_LDOUBLE_WORDS(se,hx,lx,x);
-	ix = 0x7fff&se;
+	uint32_t ex = 0x7fff & se;
+
+	/* Fast path for normal numbers.  */
+	if (__glibc_likely ((ex - 1U) < 0x7ffe))
+	  {
+	    *eptr = ex - 16382;
+	    se = (se & 0x8000) | 0x3ffe;
+	    SET_LDOUBLE_EXP(x,se);
+	    return x;
+	  }
+
+	/* Handle special cases: zero, subnormal, infinity, NaN.  */
 	*eptr = 0;
-	if(ix==0x7fff||((ix|hx|lx)==0)) return x + x;	/* 0,inf,nan */
-	if (ix==0x0000) {		/* subnormal */
-	    x *= two65;
-	    GET_LDOUBLE_EXP(se,x);
-	    ix = se&0x7fff;
-	    *eptr = -65;
-	}
-	*eptr += ix-16382;
+	if (ex == 0x7fff || ((ex | hx | lx) == 0)) return x + x;	/* 0,inf,nan */
+	/* Subnormal */
+	x *= two65;
+	GET_LDOUBLE_EXP(se,x);
+	ex = se & 0x7fff;
+	*eptr = ex - 16382 - 65;
 	se = (se & 0x8000) | 0x3ffe;
 	SET_LDOUBLE_EXP(x,se);
 	return x;
-- 
2.43.0



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