MANTISSA_DIGITS: explain relation to bitwise representation

Author: RalfJung

library/core/src/num/f128.rs

@@ -145,6 +145,9 @@ impl f128 {
     pub const RADIX: u32 = 2;
 
     /// Number of significant digits in base 2.
+    ///
+    /// Note that the size of the mantissa in the bitwise representation is one
+    /// smaller than this since the leading 1 is not stored explicitly.
     #[unstable(feature = "f128", issue = "116909")]
     pub const MANTISSA_DIGITS: u32 = 113;
 

library/core/src/num/f16.rs

@@ -140,6 +140,9 @@ impl f16 {
     pub const RADIX: u32 = 2;
 
     /// Number of significant digits in base 2.
+    ///
+    /// Note that the size of the mantissa in the bitwise representation is one
+    /// smaller than this since the leading 1 is not stored explicitly.
     #[unstable(feature = "f16", issue = "116909")]
     pub const MANTISSA_DIGITS: u32 = 11;
 

library/core/src/num/f32.rs

@@ -390,6 +390,9 @@ impl f32 {
     pub const RADIX: u32 = 2;
 
     /// Number of significant digits in base 2.
+    ///
+    /// Note that the size of the mantissa in the bitwise representation is one
+    /// smaller than this since the leading 1 is not stored explicitly.
     #[stable(feature = "assoc_int_consts", since = "1.43.0")]
     pub const MANTISSA_DIGITS: u32 = 24;
 

library/core/src/num/f64.rs

@@ -390,6 +390,9 @@ impl f64 {
     pub const RADIX: u32 = 2;
 
     /// Number of significant digits in base 2.
+    ///
+    /// Note that the size of the mantissa in the bitwise representation is one
+    /// smaller than this since the leading 1 is not stored explicitly.
     #[stable(feature = "assoc_int_consts", since = "1.43.0")]
     pub const MANTISSA_DIGITS: u32 = 53;
     /// Approximate number of significant digits in base 10.