Re: COBOL, Article on new mainframe use

EricP <ThatWouldBeTelling@thevillage.com> writes:

IF one wanted to raise an FP or decimal value to an integer power
by repeated multiplies and had to roll your own routine, then what
is the optimal way to do so?

A harder problem than most people expect.  Covered in The Art of
Computer Programming, vol 2, "The Evaluation of Powers".

In practical terms, repeated squaring and optionally multiplying
is just fine.  But it isn't always optimal.