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Re: Decimals and other numbers

From Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net>
Newsgroups comp.lang.python
Subject Re: Decimals and other numbers
Date 2015-01-09 11:31 +0200
Organization A noiseless patient Spider
Message-ID <87oaq8e1wi.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> (permalink)
References <CABicbJK-5izGtet8BsS1Yqx+6AHMX7gLU4zYjjt5jULJXNVipA@mail.gmail.com> <54AF405C.6020609@davea.name> <mailman.17501.1420772593.18130.python-list@python.org> <87a91s1kh4.fsf@elektro.pacujo.net> <mailman.17509.1420789074.18130.python-list@python.org>

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Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com>:

> I'm not a mathematical expert, so I don't quite 'get' this. How does
> this justify 0**0 being equal to 0.5?

Many operations like this are defined in terms of some very strong
argument of uniqueness. Ultimately, the key point is safety in
mathematical deductions. One minimal requirement would be:

         lim        f(x, y)
   (x, y) -> (0, 0)

must be defined (See <URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Limit_of_a_func
tion#Functions_of_more_than_one_variable>).

If you get sloppy, there is a real risk of terrible logical mistakes and
wrong results. I think having 0**0 return a value is as irresponsible as
having 0/0 return a value.

(The very same principle is used to define 0+0 and 0*0 as well.)


Marko

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Thread

Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-08 19:02 -0800
  Re: Decimals and other numbers Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-01-09 09:28 +0200
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 18:37 +1100
      Re: Decimals and other numbers Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-01-09 11:31 +0200
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Dave Angel <davea@davea.name> - 2015-01-09 02:49 -0500
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 00:51 -0800
      Re: Decimals and other numbers Jussi Piitulainen <jpiitula@ling.helsinki.fi> - 2015-01-09 11:07 +0200
        [OT] x**y == y**x Peter Pearson <pkpearson@nowhere.invalid> - 2015-01-09 17:46 +0000
          Re: [OT] x**y == y**x Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-01-09 23:41 +0200
            Re: [OT] x**y == y**x Peter Pearson <pkpearson@nowhere.invalid> - 2015-01-10 16:57 +0000
  Re: Decimals and other numbers Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-01-09 19:49 +1100
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 00:58 -0800
      Re: Decimals and other numbers Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-01-09 21:20 +1100
        Re: Decimals and other numbers Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 21:39 +1100
          Re: Decimals and other numbers Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-01-09 23:24 +1100
            Re: Decimals and other numbers Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 23:34 +1100
        Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 17:25 -0800
        Re: Decimals and other numbers Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2015-01-10 16:08 +1300
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 01:11 -0800
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-01-09 11:34 +0200
      Re: Decimals and other numbers Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2015-01-09 22:03 +1100
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2015-01-09 11:44 +0200
    Re: Decimals and other numbers Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2015-01-10 16:05 +1300
      Re: Decimals and other numbers Devin Jeanpierre <jeanpierreda@gmail.com> - 2015-01-09 19:57 -0800

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