Computer number format with a specific number of bits are used to represent varying things and have specific names. A "byte" is a bit string containing the number of bits needed to represent a character. On most modern computers, this is an eight bit string. Because the definition of a byte is related to the number of bits composing a character, some older computers have used a different bit length for their byte. In many computer architectures, the byte is used to address specific areas of memory. For example, even though 64-bit processors may address memory sixty-four bits at a time, they may
Stochastic computing bit operation that can compute this function; the usual solution involves producing correlated output bits, which, as we have seen above, can cause a host of problems. Other functions (such as the averaging operator formula_25) require either stream decimation or inflation. Tradeoffs between precision and memory can be challenging. Although stochastic computing has a number of defects when considered as a method of general computation, there are certain applications that highlight its strengths. One notable case occurs in the decoding of certain error correcting codes. In developments unrelated to stochastic computing, highly effective methods of decoding LDPC codes using the