Re: What is precision of a number representation?

From	Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Subject	Re: What is precision of a number representation?
Date	2016-07-11 23:28 +0100
Organization	A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID	<87oa6324j4.fsf@bsb.me.uk> (permalink)
References	(5 earlier) <mailman.180.1468249505.2295.python-list@python.org> <5783c91e$0$1622$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <5783D63F.5040307@stoneleaf.us> <8560sbvqqd.fsf_-_@benfinney.id.au> <mailman.195.1468270587.2295.python-list@python.org>

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Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> writes:

> Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> writes:
>
>> I will readily admit to not having a maths degree, and so of course to
>> me saying the integer 123 has a precision of 5, 10, or 99 digits seems
>> like hogwash to me.
>
> Precision is not a property of the number. It is a property of the
> *representation* of that number.
>
> The representation “1×10²” has a precision of one digit.
> The representation “100” has a precision of three digits.
> The representation “00100” has a precision of five digits.
> The representation “100.00” also has a precision of five digits.

What is your source for the third one?  I've never seen the term used
in this way so I'm curious about how widely it's used.  (I disagree with
the second one, too, but that's an old argument that does not need
resurrecting.)

> Those can all represent the same number; or maybe some of them represent
> “one hundred” and others represent “one hundred and a millionth”.

So 00100 represents the range [99.995, 100.005] just like 100.00?
That's new to me.  It is more than a Python thing?

<snip>
-- 
Ben.

Thread

Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-09 22:54 -0700
  Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-10 01:21 -0600
    Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-10 17:34 -0700
      Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-11 09:04 -0600
        Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-12 02:28 +1000
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-07-11 10:24 -0700
            Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2016-07-12 11:47 +1200
              Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-07-11 17:24 -0700
              Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-11 19:16 -0600
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-11 12:38 -0600
            Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-12 13:38 +1000
              Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 00:21 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-13 09:57 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 00:05 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-13 18:49 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-13 16:01 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-07-13 20:04 -0400
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 15:24 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 18:45 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 20:39 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 23:18 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-14 17:47 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-07-14 07:34 -0400
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 08:30 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-14 19:02 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 11:10 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-14 20:30 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 18:17 -0600
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 18:08 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-15 09:06 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 09:54 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-15 11:40 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-15 20:56 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 13:44 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-15 16:38 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 16:47 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-15 16:13 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-16 01:12 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Random832 <random832@fastmail.com> - 2016-07-15 09:39 -0400
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 16:32 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 13:05 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-15 16:28 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-16 01:13 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-15 18:27 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-15 12:20 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-15 12:44 +0200
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 16:26 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 16:17 +0100
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Lawrence D’Oliveiro <lawrencedo99@gmail.com> - 2016-07-15 16:35 -0700
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-16 10:57 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2016-07-14 01:59 +0100
              Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2016-07-13 07:46 -0400
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-13 16:04 +0300
              Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 23:00 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-13 16:16 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-13 23:49 +1000
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Jussi Piitulainen <jussi.piitulainen@helsinki.fi> - 2016-07-13 17:23 +0300
                Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-14 00:28 +1000
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2016-07-11 14:54 -0400
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2016-07-11 13:27 -0600
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Michael Torrie <torriem@gmail.com> - 2016-07-11 14:06 -0600
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Random832 <random832@fastmail.com> - 2016-07-11 16:34 -0400
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2016-07-11 16:52 -0400
          What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-07-12 06:56 +1000
            Re: What is precision of a number representation? Ben Bacarisse <ben.usenet@bsb.me.uk> - 2016-07-11 23:28 +0100
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-07-11 14:22 -0700
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-12 07:51 +1000
            Re: What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Jan Coombs <jenfhaomndgfwutc@murmic.plus.com> - 2016-07-12 00:14 +0100
              Re: What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-12 09:57 +1000
            Re: What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-12 14:19 +1000
              Re: What is precision of a number representation? (was: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats) Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-12 14:36 +1000
              Re: What is precision of a number representation? Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-12 11:50 +0200
                Re: What is precision of a number representation? Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2016-07-12 13:27 +0300
                Re: What is precision of a number representation? Antoon Pardon <antoon.pardon@rece.vub.ac.be> - 2016-07-12 13:02 +0200
                Re: What is precision of a number representation? Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-12 23:16 +1000
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-07-11 15:17 -0700
            Re: What is precision of a number representation? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2016-07-12 16:21 +1000
              Re: What is precision of a number representation? Random832 <random832@fastmail.com> - 2016-07-12 09:36 -0400
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2016-07-11 15:29 -0700
          Re: Curious Omission In New-Style Formats Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2016-07-12 11:26 +1200
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2016-07-12 11:57 +1000
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Ben Finney <ben+python@benfinney.id.au> - 2016-07-12 13:41 +1000
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2016-07-12 00:14 -0400
          Re: What is precision of a number representation? Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2016-07-12 00:17 -0400

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