next_float

Returns the next representable floating-point number.

Float::MAX.next_float and Float::INFINITY.next_float is Float::INFINITY.

Float::NAN.next_float is Float::NAN.

For example:

p 0.01.next_float  #=> 0.010000000000000002
p 1.0.next_float   #=> 1.0000000000000002
p 100.0.next_float #=> 100.00000000000001

p 0.01.next_float - 0.01   #=> 1.734723475976807e-18
p 1.0.next_float - 1.0     #=> 2.220446049250313e-16
p 100.0.next_float - 100.0 #=> 1.4210854715202004e-14

f = 0.01; 20.times { printf "%-20a %s\n", f, f.to_s; f = f.next_float }
#=> 0x1.47ae147ae147bp-7 0.01
#   0x1.47ae147ae147cp-7 0.010000000000000002
#   0x1.47ae147ae147dp-7 0.010000000000000004
#   0x1.47ae147ae147ep-7 0.010000000000000005
#   0x1.47ae147ae147fp-7 0.010000000000000007
#   0x1.47ae147ae148p-7  0.010000000000000009
#   0x1.47ae147ae1481p-7 0.01000000000000001
#   0x1.47ae147ae1482p-7 0.010000000000000012
#   0x1.47ae147ae1483p-7 0.010000000000000014
#   0x1.47ae147ae1484p-7 0.010000000000000016
#   0x1.47ae147ae1485p-7 0.010000000000000018
#   0x1.47ae147ae1486p-7 0.01000000000000002
#   0x1.47ae147ae1487p-7 0.010000000000000021
#   0x1.47ae147ae1488p-7 0.010000000000000023
#   0x1.47ae147ae1489p-7 0.010000000000000024
#   0x1.47ae147ae148ap-7 0.010000000000000026
#   0x1.47ae147ae148bp-7 0.010000000000000028
#   0x1.47ae147ae148cp-7 0.01000000000000003
#   0x1.47ae147ae148dp-7 0.010000000000000031
#   0x1.47ae147ae148ep-7 0.010000000000000033

f = 0.0
100.times { f += 0.1 }
p f                            #=> 9.99999999999998       # should be 10.0 in the ideal world.
p 10-f                         #=> 1.9539925233402755e-14 # the floating-point error.
p(10.0.next_float-10)          #=> 1.7763568394002505e-15 # 1 ulp (units in the last place).
p((10-f)/(10.0.next_float-10)) #=> 11.0                   # the error is 11 ulp.
p((10-f)/(10*Float::EPSILON))  #=> 8.8                    # approximation of the above.
p "%a" % f                     #=> "0x1.3fffffffffff5p+3" # the last hex digit is 5.  16 - 5 = 11 ulp.