code: @Override
      protected int msd(Double a, Double b) {
          /*
           * For this to work, arithmetic must be unsigned
           */
          long ux = Double.doubleToLongBits(a);
          long uy = Double.doubleToLongBits(b);
          if (ux == uy) {
              return -1;
          }
          double d = UnsignedUtils.unsignedLongToDouble(ux ^ uy);
          return Math.getExponent(d);
      }
docs: {@inheritDoc}