In short Java went ahead and declared imprecise and architecture-independent float results better than more precise and architecture dependent results.
Matlab followed suite with v6.0 and found big errors in mxmuleps compared to Matlab v5.0.
Such a little rounding problem in the 6th digit e.g. caused a big problem in one architectural problem of mine, where it did cost several millions. Check for the costs of rounding problem in the real world, comp.risks e.g.
https://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/
In short Java went ahead and declared imprecise and architecture-independent float results better than more precise and architecture dependent results. Matlab followed suite with v6.0 and found big errors in mxmuleps compared to Matlab v5.0.
Such a little rounding problem in the 6th digit e.g. caused a big problem in one architectural problem of mine, where it did cost several millions. Check for the costs of rounding problem in the real world, comp.risks e.g. https://www.ima.umn.edu/~arnold/disasters/