> Tensordyne is expected to accelerate AI inference with a logarithmic number system that leans on a property of logarithms: The log of A times B equals the log of A plus the log of B. So, storing numbers as their exponents lets the chip add where it would otherwise multiply. That matters in silicon because multiplier circuits draw more power and use more die area than adders do. Tensordyne says its rack-scale hardware, called Napier, can produce up to 1,300 tokens per second per user, and can do so while using less than a tenth as much power as comparable Nvidia hardware.
Did not know about this cool trick about storing numbers as exponents! Is there a name for this technique? Wouldn’t there be overhead in converting back and forth between the exponent and the number?
Did not know about this cool trick about storing numbers as exponents! Is there a name for this technique? Wouldn’t there be overhead in converting back and forth between the exponent and the number?