Arithmetic overflow occurs when a calculation produces a result too large for storage. Programmers can avoid errors by designing programs with consistent data types and lengths, controlling order of operations, and breaking operations into smaller steps. Ignoring overflow errors can compromise program efficiency. The Ariane Flight 5 disaster was caused by inadequate programming to handle higher values.
An arithmetic overflow is a condition that occurs in computers, especially in the area of computer programming, when a calculation or operation produces a result that is too large for the storage system or registry to handle. Overflow can also refer to the amount that the given result exceeds the memory designated for storage. In some cases, the data overflow can be stored in another data storage location; in others, it can cause a program to crash, run slowly, or produce inaccurate results. Arithmetic overflow is not limited to personal or full business computers, as even simple handheld calculators and communication devices have limits on the magnitude of the values they can handle.
Programmers tend to learn methods of dealing with arithmetic overflow errors early in their education, as they tend to be very common programming errors to get. There are many different methods to handle arithmetic overflow. Program design plays a very important role; a well-designed program that uses consistent and correct data types and lengths should not encounter such errors. If great care is taken to control the order of operations and keep everything consistent, overflow errors can be completely avoided.
Another way to handle arithmetic overflow errors is to break operations into smaller steps. It is often easier for a system to handle small, simple operations than complex operations involving large numbers and excessive calculations. When it’s not terribly important that the returned number be completely accurate, sometimes it will be sufficient to write the program such that it notifies the user of the overflow error but still returns a value. The most common way to handle an arithmetic overflow error is to ignore it completely. While this is usually harmless, it can give erroneous results and can compromise the program’s usefulness and efficiency.
Ariane Flight 5 501 clearly illustrates the dangers of arithmetic overflow errors. The flight was the first test of the European Ariane 5 expendable launch system, which reused much of the code from the older Ariane 4 system. Ariane 5’s acceleration was, however, significantly greater than that of Ariane 4, and the programming was not adequate to handle the higher values required. Thus, the rocket left its intended flight path 37 seconds after launch and had to be destroyed. This simple programming error cost hundreds of millions of US dollars.
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