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The release uses double precision even for floating point variables

My algorithm computes epsilon for single precision floating point arithmetic . It is estimated that it will be around 1.1921e-007. Here is the code:

static void Main(string[] args) {
    // start with some small magic number
    float a = 0.000000000000000013877787807814457f;
    for (; ; ) {
        // add the small a to 1
        float temp = 1f + a;
        // break, if a + 1 really is > '1'
        if (temp - 1f != 0f) break;
        // otherwise a is too small -> increase it
        a *= 2f;
        Console.Out.WriteLine("current increment: " + a); 
    }
    Console.Out.WriteLine("Found epsilon: " + a); 
    Console.ReadKey(); 
}

In debug mode, it gives the following reasonable conclusion (in abbreviated form):

current increment: 2,775558E-17
current increment: 5,551115E-17
...
current increment: 2,980232E-08
current increment: 5,960464E-08
current increment: 1,192093E-07
Found epsilon: 1,192093E-07

However, when switching to release mode (regardless of / Without optimization!), The code gives the following result:

current increment: 2,775558E-17
current increment: 5,551115E-17
current increment: 1,110223E-16
current increment: 2,220446E-16
Found epsilon: 2,220446E-16

which matches the value for double precision . Therefore, I suppose that some optimizations cause the calculations to be performed on double values. Of course, in this case the result is incorrect!

: X86 Release . : / . 64- WIN7, VS 2010 Ultimate, .NET 4.0.

? WOW? ? CLR , ?

: " CPU" "X64" - . , 32/64 . , .

+3
1

, . JIT ( ) - ( ):

class WorkingContext
{ 
    public float Value; // you'll excuse me a public field here, I trust
    public override string ToString()
    {
        return Value.ToString();
    }
}
static void Main()
{
    // start with some small magic number
    WorkingContext a = new WorkingContext(), temp = new WorkingContext();
    a.Value = 0.000000000000000013877787807814457f;
    for (; ; )
    {
        // add the small a to 1
        temp.Value = 1f + a.Value;
        // break, if a + 1 really is > '1'
        if (temp.Value - 1f != 0f) break;
        // otherwise a is too small -> increase it
        a.Value *= 2f;
        Console.Out.WriteLine("current increment: " + a);
    }
    Console.Out.WriteLine("Found epsilon: " + a);
    Console.ReadKey();
}

, , JIT ( , ).

+3

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