 <p>Is it crucial for it to have to equal -3.40282306e+38 for your algorithm to work? If nor try an inequality instead of equals. Equlaity works on floating point numbers if they are perfect integers such as 0,for numbers like youre using an inequality maybe the answer. Wont something like </p> <blockquote> <p>(-3.40282306e+38-smallnumber) fix your problem?-You have to set small number to somthing in the context of your problem which I dont know what it is.</p> </blockquote>