lost in the underflow

lost in the underflow

(jargon)Too small to be worth considering; more specifically,small beyond the limits of accuracy or measurement. This is areference to "floating point underflow".

The Hacker's Jargon File claimed that it is also a pun on"undertow" (a kind of fast, cold current that sometimes runsjust offshore and can be dangerous to swimmers).

"Well, sure, photon pressure from the stadium lights altersthe path of a thrown baseball, but that effect gets lost inthe underflow".

Compare epsilon, epsilon squared; see also overflow bit.