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Groups > comp.lang.python > #70822

Re: Significant digits in a float?

Date 2014-05-01 12:51 -0700
From Larry Hudson <orgnut@yahoo.com>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: Significant digits in a float?
References (4 earlier) <mailman.9594.1398818045.18130.python-list@python.org> <roy-D8BB79.20423329042014@news.panix.com> <mailman.9618.1398902568.18130.python-list@python.org> <ljsghc$65b$1@speranza.aioe.org> <roy-0C9017.08561301052014@news.panix.com>
Message-ID <77Sdnblwr9UrOP_OnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@giganews.com> (permalink)

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On 05/01/2014 05:56 AM, Roy Smith wrote:
> In article <ljsghc$65b$1@speranza.aioe.org>,
>   Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>      Absolutely, snort.  I still have my K&E (Keuffel & Esser Co. N.Y.);
>> made of wood... (when ships were wood, and men were steel, and sheep ran
>> scared) ... to get to the S L T scales I have to pull the slide out
>> (turn it over) and reinsert it. You're right, the CF and DF scales are
>> missing, but the A B scales have the π symbol where it should be (more
>> or less).  Mine is the 4058 C model, and you're right... has maths
>> equivalents and conversions printed on the back...
>
> For those who have no idea what we're talking about, take a look at
> http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything.  If you just want
> to see what you do with a slide rule, fast forward to 14:20, but you
> really owe it to yourself to invest the 18 minutes to watch the whole
> thing.
>

Anyone (besides me) ever seen a cylindrical slide rule?  I have one -- unfortunately misplaced 
at the moment.  :-(

The scales were helical around a cylinder giving (it was claimed) to be the equivalent of a 
five-foot rule.  But that still only gave one additional significant digit.  Only two scales, 
however, which limited its use to multiply/divide and logs.  But interesting.

I just did a quick google search and found a picture of one on e-bay, asking price of $175. 
This price rather surprised me because when I bought mine new (probably 45 or so years ago) I'm 
sure I didn't pay more than around $25-$30 for it.  And mine is in far better condition than the 
one in the e-bay photo.  I recently ran across mine, but promptly misplaced it again (long story 
-- don't ask...).  I'll have to look for it again.  (And no, mine is not for sale when/if I find 
it again.)

      -=- Larry -=-

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Thread

Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-28 12:00 -0400
  Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-29 02:34 +0000
    Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-29 13:23 +1000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-29 05:43 +0000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-29 20:33 -0400
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:42 -0400
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-30 20:02 -0400
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 22:54 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-04-30 20:56 -0700
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 23:16 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com> - 2014-05-01 11:53 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 11:29 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 22:06 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 09:51 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-06 15:18 +0000
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 12:14 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-06 19:48 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-05-01 08:56 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Larry Hudson <orgnut@yahoo.com> - 2014-05-01 12:51 -0700
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 22:05 +0100
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 21:47 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 09:59 -0500
                [OT] Silde rules [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-05-06 16:10 +0000
                Re: [OT] Silde rules Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-05-07 10:01 +1000
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:55 +0100
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 22:26 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-08 20:58 +0100
    Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 09:38 -0400
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 02:30 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 19:53 -0400
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:13 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-30 10:13 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:17 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-30 10:20 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:19 +0000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2014-04-29 12:47 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-30 09:45 +1200
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 02:59 +1000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-04-29 21:16 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-29 15:39 -0500
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 07:15 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Ryan Hiebert <ryan@ryanhiebert.com> - 2014-04-29 15:42 -0500
        Re: Significant digits in a float? emile <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-04-29 15:42 -0700
          Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-04-30 09:03 +0000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:21 +0000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? emile <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-05-01 09:34 -0700
              Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-01 17:13 +0000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 08:51 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-30 20:14 +1200
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 18:27 +1000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-30 14:05 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-30 00:34 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-29 20:37 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:45 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:45 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:48 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-29 19:31 -0700
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-30 02:59 +0000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 23:30 -0400
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 13:40 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 13:03 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-30 08:01 -0400
        Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less  [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-30 06:14 -0700
        Re: Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less  [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-30 07:02 -0700
          Re: Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:52 +0100
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 00:27 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 05:10 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ryan Hiebert <ryan@ryanhiebert.com> - 2014-04-30 10:24 -0500
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 17:46 -0600
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-04-30 22:20 -0400
          Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re:   Significant digits in a float?] Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-05-01 18:16 +1200
          Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:57 +0100
            Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-05-01 22:49 +0100
            Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-02 08:49 +0000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 11:57 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Vlastimil Brom <vlastimil.brom@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 09:49 +0200
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-30 02:50 +0000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:18 +0000

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