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:

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

0.01.next_float - 0.01     #=> 1.734723475976807e-18
1.0.next_float - 1.0       #=> 2.220446049250313e-16
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 }
f                           #=> 9.99999999999998       # should be 10.0 in the ideal world.
10-f                        #=> 1.9539925233402755e-14 # the floating point error.
10.0.next_float-10          #=> 1.7763568394002505e-15 # 1 ulp (unit in the last place).
(10-f)/(10.0.next_float-10) #=> 11.0                   # the error is 11 ulp.
(10-f)/(10*Float::EPSILON)  #=> 8.8                    # approximation of the above.
"%a" % 10                   #=> "0x1.4p+3"
"%a" % f                    #=> "0x1.3fffffffffff5p+3" # the last hex digit is 5.  16 - 5 = 11 ulp.