Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))`

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From	Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu>
Subject	Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))`
Date	Wed, 17 Sep 2014 19:23:51 -0400
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On 9/17/2014 10:55 AM, cool-RR wrote:
> Terry, that doesn't really answer the question "why", it just pushes
> it back to the documentation. Is there a real answer why? Why return
> NaN when Inf would make mathematical sense?

IEEE float('inf') and float('nan') are engineering, not math constructs. 
I showed that the result is consistent with the math definition. 
Another result (including raising) might be also.  Many choices 
concerting inf and nan are arbitrary and any 'why' can be debated.

-- 
Terry Jan Reedy

Thread

Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` cool-RR <ram.rachum@gmail.com> - 2014-09-16 14:40 -0700
  Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-09-16 21:12 -0400
    Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` cool-RR <ram.rachum@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 07:55 -0700
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 01:10 +1000
        Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` cool-RR <ram.rachum@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 08:16 -0700
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 01:29 +1000
            Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` cool-RR <ram.rachum@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 09:33 -0700
              Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 02:37 +1000
              Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-09-18 13:11 +1000
                Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` cool-RR <ram.rachum@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 01:43 -0700
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 09:34 -0600
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 01:40 +1000
            Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-09-18 12:50 +1000
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 10:12 -0600
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 10:30 -0600
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 12:03 -0600
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 07:37 +1000
        Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-09-18 13:29 +1000
          Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 13:47 +1000
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-09-17 19:23 -0400
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 00:51 -0600
  Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-17 09:35 -0600
  Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-09-17 23:22 -0700
    Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Marko Rauhamaa <marko@pacujo.net> - 2014-09-18 09:45 +0300
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-09-18 00:13 -0700
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-09-18 19:25 +1000
        Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-09-18 05:57 -0700
        Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-09-18 14:33 +0000
    Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` chris.barker@noaa.gov - 2014-09-18 09:35 -0700
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-09-18 11:05 -0600
      Re: Why `divmod(float('inf'), 1) == (float('nan'), float('nan'))` wxjmfauth@gmail.com - 2014-09-18 23:48 -0700

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