e+x

[|ndußtrial]

i see many large numbers displayed, for example, as 1.46523e+x, where x is another number (1.46523e+15 i've assumed that x is the number of omitted digits, am i correct?

[Gez]

Not exactly.It's the exponent; usually a base 10 exponent for scientific notation. More precisely, E notation.

1.46523e+15 means that the real number is ca. 1465230000000000.

You can also find e-x for small numbers. 1.46523e-15 is ca. 0.00000000000000146523.

[wildweasel]

I found this document that seems to corroborate that, but it actually seems to be shorthand for exponential notation for displays that can't display exponents otherwise (i.e. old-style LCD calculators).

[edit] Gez beat me. =P

[Blox]

For those that can't be bothered to read all that shizzle, then "Ye+x" (like in 1.46523e+x, where "1.46523" is Y) stands for "Y * 10^x".
If it's "Ye-x" then it's just "Y * 10^(-x)", so in reality "e+/-x" just stands for the amount of decimals you move Y left or right from the decimal separator (.) by.

In the case of 1.46523e+15, that would be fifteen to the left - which means that the five decimals you see in the number (.46523) get moved to the base number (thus we get 146523) and then we add ten zeroes, since all decimal numbers are technically proceeded by an infinite amount of zeroes. (i.e. 1.4652300000...)

And thus we get 1465230000000000 as Gez points out.