Added introduction
Some checks failed
CI / Typst formatting (pull_request) Successful in 6s
CI / Typos (pull_request) Failing after 9s
CI / Build (pull_request) Has been skipped

This commit is contained in:
Mark 2025-02-12 17:28:36 -08:00
parent 1c3db4b18d
commit a166aeaa74
7 changed files with 57 additions and 11 deletions

View File

@ -13,16 +13,19 @@
by: "Mark",
)
#include "parts/00 int.typ"
#include "parts/00 intro.typ"
#pagebreak()
#include "parts/01 float.typ"
#include "parts/01 int.typ"
#pagebreak()
#include "parts/02 approx.typ"
#include "parts/02 float.typ"
#pagebreak()
#include "parts/03 quake.typ"
#include "parts/03 approx.typ"
#pagebreak()
#include "parts/04 bonus.typ"
#include "parts/04 quake.typ"
#pagebreak()
#include "parts/05 bonus.typ"

View File

@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
#import "@local/handout:0.1.0": *
= Introduction
In 2005, ID Software published the source code of _Quake III Arena_, a popular game released in 1999. \
This caused quite a stir: ID Software was responsible for many games popular among old-school engineers (most notably _Doom_, which has a place in programmer humor even today).
#v(2mm)
Naturally, this community immediately began dissecting _Quake_'s source. \
One particularly interesting function is reproduced below, with original comments: \
#v(3mm)
```c
float Q_rsqrt( float number ) {
long i;
float x2, y;
const float threehalfs = 1.5F;
x2 = number * 0.5F;
y = number;
i = * ( long * ) &y; // evil floating point bit level hacking
i = 0x5f3759df - ( i >> 1 ); // [redacted]
y = * ( float * ) &i;
y = y * ( threehalfs - ( x2 * y * y ) ); // 1st iteration
// y = y * ( threehalfs - ( x2 * y * y ) ); // 2nd iteration, this can be removed
return y;
}
```
#v(3mm)
This code defines a function `Q_sqrt`, which was used as a fast approximation of the inverse square root in graphics routines. (in other words, `Q_sqrt` efficiently approximates $1 div sqrt(x)$)
#v(3mm)
The key word here is "fast": _Quake_ ran on very limited hardware, and traditional approximation techinques (like Taylor series)#footnote[In fact, Taylor series aren't used today, and for the same reason: there are better ways.] were too computationally expensive to be viable.
#v(3mm)
Our goal today is to understand how `Q_sqrt` works. \
To do that, we'll first need to understand how computers represent numbers. \
We'll start with simple binary---turn the page.

View File

@ -2,10 +2,9 @@
= The Fast Inverse Square Root
A simplified version of the _Quake_ routine we are studying is reproduced below.
The following code is present in _Quake III Arena_ (1999):
#v(5mm)
#v(2mm)
```c
float Q_rsqrt( float number ) {
@ -15,7 +14,7 @@ float Q_rsqrt( float number ) {
}
```
#v(5mm)
#v(2mm)
This code defines a function `Q_rsqrt` that consumes a float `number` and approximates its inverse square root.
If we rewrite this using notation we're familiar with, we get the following:
@ -165,8 +164,7 @@ though it is fairly close to the ideal $epsilon$.
#remark()
And now, we're done! \
We've shown that `Q_sqrt(x)` approximates $1/sqrt(x)$ fairly well, \
thanks to the approximation $log(1+a) = a + epsilon$.
We've shown that `Q_sqrt(x)` approximates $1/sqrt(x)$ fairly well. \
#v(2mm)