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From: Spock <spock@starfleet.ufp>
Newsgroups: comp.lang.java.programmer
Subject: Re: Java puzzler
Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 19:33:45 -0400
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On 14/05/2011 11:46 AM, markspace wrote:
> If you've ever actually tried to use BigDecimal with its "infinite
> precision" mode, you know that this blows up pretty quickly due to out
> of memory errors. The first time you try to evaluate 1/3, it throws an
> error. Infinite precision is not the answer.

This erroneously presupposes that the only means available for 
representing fractions is as binary or decimal floating-point or 
fixed-point. Many other programming languages have a Ratio or Rational 
type, including most Lisps and all Smalltalks; a Java equivalent would 
represent 1/3 exactly as a BigInteger numerator 1 and a BigInteger 
denominator 3.

Of course, irrational numbers like sqrt(2) and pi would still present 
difficulties.