Precise exponent and exact softmax computation
AssigneeGSI Technology, Inc.
InventorAvidan Akerib
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for an associative memory device includes dividing a multi-bit mantissa A of a number X to a plurality of smaller partial mantissas Aj, offline calculating a plurality of partial exponents F(Aj) for each possible value of each partial mantissa Aj and storing the plurality of partial exponents F(Aj) in a look up table (LUT) of the associative memory device. A system includes an associative memory array to store a plurality of partial mantissas Ai of a mantissa A of a number X and an exponent calculator to utilize the partial mantissas to compute e in the power of X.
Claims13
A method for an associative memory device, the method comprising:
- dividing a variable length mantissa A of a floating point number x into a plurality of smaller fixed length partial mantissas A_j, said fixed length defined according to a length of a look-up table (LUT);
- offline calculating a plurality of partial exponents F(A_j) for each possible value of each said partial mantissa A_j;
- storing said plurality of partial exponents F(A_j) in said LUT of said associative memory device;
- using said associative memory device, selecting those of said partial exponents F(A_j) from said LUT which are associated with said fixed length partial mantissas A_j of said variable length mantissa A;
- and
- using said associative memory device, determining ex from said selected partial exponents F(A_j).
An associative memory device comprising:
- a storage area;
- and
- a processing unit,
- said storage area comprising:
- a LUT to store a plurality of partial exponents F(A_j) for each possible value of fixed length partial mantissas A said partial exponents previously generated by an exponent calculator;
- a plurality of columns divided into fixed length partial mantissa sections, each column i to store a variable length mantissa Ai of a floating point number xi divided into fixed length partial mantissas Ai said length defined according to a length of said LUT;
- said processing unit comprising:
- a partial exponent assigner to store those of said partial exponents F(A_j) from said LUT which are associated with said fixed length partial mantissas A_J;
- and
- an exponent multiplier to determine exi for each said floating point number xi from said selected partial exponents F(Ai_j) for said column i.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.