A data processing apparatus is provided. Intermediate value generation circuitry generates an intermediate value from a first floating point number and a second floating point number. The intermediate value includes a number of leading 0s indicative of a prediction of a number of leading 0s in a difference between absolute values of the first floating point number and the second floating point number. The prediction differs by at most one from the number of leading 0s in the difference between absolute values of the first floating point number and the second floating point number. Count circuitry counts the number of leading 0s in said intermediate value and mask generation circuitry produces one or more masks using the intermediate value. The mask generation circuitry produces the one or more masks at the same time or before the count circuitry counts the number of leading 0s in the intermediate value.
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