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The approximate number system represents magnitude and precision
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 15 December 2021
Abstract
Numbers are symbols manipulated in accord with the axioms of arithmetic. They sometimes represent discrete and continuous quantities (e.g., numerosities, durations, rates, distances, directions, and probabilities), but they are often simply names. Brains, including insect brains, represent the rational numbers with a fixed-point data type, consisting of a significand and an exponent, thereby conveying both magnitude and precision.
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- Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press
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Target article
The number sense represents (rational) numbers
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