Too small to be worth considering; more specifically, small beyond
the limits of accuracy or measurement. This is a reference to
floating underflow, a condition that can occur when a floating-point
arithmetic processor tries to handle quantities smaller than its
limit of magnitude. It is also a pun on `undertow' (a kind of fast,
cold current that sometimes runs just offshore and can be dangerous
to swimmers). "Well, sure, photon pressure from the stadium lights
alters the path of a thrown baseball, but that effect gets lost in
the underflow." Compare {epsilon}, {epsilon squared}; see also
{overflow bit}.
[glossary]
[Reference(s) to this entry by made by: {epsilon squared}{lost in the noise}]