Adding two numbers in base 2(floating point) vs Multiplying two numbers in base 2(floating point)
Floating point numbers are stored as $x \cdot 2^e$, where typically $1 \leq x &lt; 2$ (unless your number is denormalized). When multiplying $x \cdot 2^e$ and $y \cdot 2^f$, we simply compute $xy \cdot 2^{e+f}$ (we have to truncate $xy$). When adding $x \cdot 2^e$ and $y \cdot 2^f$, we first have to shift one of the numbers (the one with smaller exponent) so that we have a &quot;common denominator&quot;. For example, to add $1 \cdot 2^0$ and $1 \cdot 2^{-3}$, you have to rewrite the latter as $0.125 \cdot 2^0$.
Whether this makes addition more complex than multiplication is a matter of opinion. Multiplying $x$ and $y$ is still harder than addition.