[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: Strange bug
From: |
Hacksaw |
Subject: |
Re: Strange bug |
Date: |
Fri, 19 Jan 2001 03:38:49 -0500 |
User-agent: |
Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux 2.2.14-5.0smp i686; en-US; m18) Gecko/20010118 |
Gaute B Strokkenes wrote:
Also, I'm ADDING. Precision errors typically happen on division or
multiplication. (Mostly just division).
The only computational error one could expect on adding is overflow.
You are very wrong. Find yourself a good book about numerical
analysis if you're interested. There are *lots* of pitfalls when it
comes to computer floating point arithmetic.
Like the fact that the IEEE representation of decimal fraction of
terminating numbers much small than the operational limits of the
machine is never the less inaccurate unless it happens to have a 5 in
it's prime factorization?
It seems to be a monument to stupidity.
It can't accurately represent 0.1. Why is this considered useful?
Allow me to change my "bug report" to a query: Is there a bignum package
for emacs that supercedes all the regular operators so the if I add a
bunch of prices, I don't get strange numbers?
--
-- KB1FVD -- -=-=-=-=- Tov! Is qui iacit in hamas marsupiales. | <-----
| | Rev. Irreverend Hacksaw, Omnibenevalent Polyparrot (ULC) | Melior
|XX| http://www.hacksaw.org -- http://www.privatecircus.com | amare
---- <----- Omnia plures altus Latina videt. Annuit Crustum. | chemia