Processing element configured to approximate a transcendental function

A processing element configured to approximate a transcendental function, the processing element comprising an input storage, a look-up storage, a multiplication unit and an addition unit, wherein the processing element is configured to:

• obtain floating-point input data representing an input value from the input storage, the floating-point input data representing an input exponent value and an input mantissa value;
• identify the input exponent value and, in a case that the input exponent value has a predefined value and the input mantissa value lies within a predefined range:
• look up approximation parameters and an output exponent value from the look-up storage, wherein each group of approximation parameters and output exponent value are stored in the look-up storage in association with a respective range of a plurality of ranges that are defined by one or more of the input exponent value and the input mantissa value, the ranges covering values of the input exponent value and input mantissa value such that the output exponent value associated with each range does not change by more than a predetermined number across each range;
• and
• evaluating, using the multiplication unit and the addition unit, an approximation function to generate an output that approximates the transcendental function, based at least in part on the looked-up approximation parameters and output exponent value.