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Re: float("nan") in set or as key

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Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> def kronecker(x, y):
>     if x == y: return 1
>     return 0
> 
> This will correctly consume NAN arguments. If either x or y is a NAN, it 
> will return 0.

I'm far from convinced that this result is "correct". For one
thing, the Kronecker delta is defined on integers, not reals,
so expecting it to deal with NaNs at all is nonsensical.
For another, this function as written is numerically suspect,
since it relies on comparing floats for exact equality.

But the most serious problem is, given that

> NAN is a sentinel for an invalid operation. NAN + NAN returns a NAN 
> because it is an invalid operation,

if kronecker(NaN, x) or kronecker(x, Nan) returns anything
other than NaN or some other sentinel value, then you've
*lost* the information that an invalid operation occurred
somewhere earlier in the computation.

You can't get a valid result from data produced by an
invalid computation. Garbage in, garbage out.

> not because NANs are magical goop that spoil everything they touch.

But that's exactly how the *have* to behave if they truly
indicate an invalid operation.

SQL has been mentioned in relation to all this. It's worth
noting that the result of comparing something to NULL in
SQL is *not* true or false -- it's NULL!

-- 
Greg

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Thread

float("nan") in set or as key MRAB <python@mrabarnett.plus.com> - 2011-05-29 00:41 +0100
  Re: float("nan") in set or as key Erik Max Francis <max@alcyone.com> - 2011-05-28 17:16 -0700
  Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-05-29 00:26 +0000
  Re: float("nan") in set or as key Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-05-29 13:04 +1200
    Re: float("nan") in set or as key John Nagle <nagle@animats.com> - 2011-05-28 23:12 -0700
      Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-05-29 10:29 +0000
        Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-05-29 22:19 +0100
          Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-05-29 23:31 +0000
            Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-01 21:41 +0100
              Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-02 09:54 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2011-06-02 13:05 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Robert Kern <robert.kern@gmail.com> - 2011-06-02 12:04 -0500
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-02 21:47 +0100
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2011-06-03 14:52 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Chris Torek <nospam@torek.net> - 2011-06-03 17:52 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2011-06-06 13:54 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-04 00:29 +0100
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-04 09:51 +1000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key rusi <rustompmody@gmail.com> - 2011-06-04 00:52 -0700
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-04 20:29 +0100
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-05 07:21 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-05 19:15 +0100
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-06 00:55 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Nobody <nobody@nowhere.com> - 2011-06-06 23:14 +0100
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-06 23:44 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-07 11:00 +1000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2011-06-06 14:03 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-06-03 11:17 +1200
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-03 04:23 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2011-06-03 14:35 +1000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-03 05:59 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2011-06-04 12:14 +1200
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2011-06-04 02:21 +0000
                Re: float("nan") in set or as key Erik Max Francis <max@alcyone.com> - 2011-06-05 00:27 -0700
          Re: float("nan") in set or as key Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2011-06-01 21:01 +0000
      Re: float("nan") in set or as key Chris Torek <nospam@torek.net> - 2011-05-30 00:02 +0000
  Re: float("nan") in set or as key Raymond Hettinger <python@rcn.com> - 2011-05-29 21:49 -0700

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