[continued from previous message]   
      
   unsigned int (and needing to spend 2 shifts whenever zero-extending a   
   value).   
      
      
   With 3x 12 digits,while not exactly the densest scheme, leaves a little   
   more "working space" so would reduce cases which exceed the limits of   
   64-bit arithmetic. Well, except multiply, where 24 > 18 ...   
      
   The main merit of 9 digit chunking here being that it fully stays within   
   the limits of 64-bit arithmetic (where multiply temporarily widens to   
   working with 18 digits, but then narrows back to 9 digit chunks).   
      
   Also 9 digit chunking may be preferable when one has a faster 32*32=>64   
   bit multiplier, but 64*64=>128 is slower.   
      
      
   One other possibility could be to use BCD rather than chunking, but I   
   expect BCD emulation to be painfully slow in the absence of ISA level   
   helpers.   
      
      
   ...   
      
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