Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!news.mixmin.net!feeds.phibee-telecom.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!post.news.xs4all.nl!not-for-mail Return-Path: X-Original-To: python-list@python.org Delivered-To: python-list@mail.python.org X-Spam-Status: OK 0.013 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.97; '*S*': 0.00; 'float': 0.07; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'subject:set': 0.09; 'subset': 0.09; 'python': 0.11; '*any*': 0.16; 'finney': 0.16; 'master.': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'proprietary': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; 'feb': 0.22; 'header:User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'chris': 0.29; 'then.': 0.30; 'restricted': 0.31; 'subject:numbers': 0.31; 'way?': 0.31; 'writes:': 0.31; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'subject:with': 0.35; 'no,': 0.35; 'received:com.au': 0.36; 'so,': 0.37; 'being': 0.38; 'represent': 0.38; 'ben': 0.38; 'skip:[ 10': 0.38; 'to:addr :python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; '12,': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'numbers': 0.61; 'simply': 0.61; "you've": 0.63; 'real': 0.63; 'choose': 0.64; 'between': 0.67; 'etc,': 0.84; 'received:125': 0.84; 'start.': 0.84 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Ben Finney Subject: Re: Working with the set of real numbers Date: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 19:56:29 +1100 References: <8e4c1ab1-e65d-483f-ad9d-6933ae2052c3@googlegroups.com> <7e7d3200-a4ae-4842-ad8d-68b4435b9006@googlegroups.com> <52f219c5$0$29972$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <888bd2fc-54b0-4c46-9d7b-d81d01a78b52@googlegroups.com> <52f59aeb$0$29972$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <7cc8f49d-a4c7-48c2-a0af-ac58c847d794@googlegroups.com> <71e578f8-0d23-4b8e-b9f2-b987bdc9c01d@googlegroups.com> <85r478bv99.fsf_-_@benfinney.id.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: vmx15867.hosting24.com.au X-Public-Key-ID: 0xBD41714B X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 9CFE 12B0 791A 4267 887F 520C B7AC 2E51 BD41 714B X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-gpg.asc X-Post-From: Ben Finney User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.4 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:lj9J+OuHyog2orIbzyEvN0h8wWA= X-BeenThere: python-list@python.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.15 Precedence: list List-Id: General discussion list for the Python programming language List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Newsgroups: comp.lang.python Message-ID: Lines: 33 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1392195606 news.xs4all.nl 2947 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:37430 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:66016 Chris Angelico writes: > On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 7:17 PM, Ben Finney wrote: > > Chris Angelico writes: > > > >> I have yet to find any computer that works with the set of real > >> numbers in any way. Never mind optimization, they simply cannot > >> work with real numbers. > > > > Not *any* computer? Not in *any* way? The Python built-in ‘float’ > > type “works with the set of real numbers”, in a way. > > No, the Python built-in float type works with a subset of real numbers So, “works with a subset of real numbers” is not satisfactory, then. Okay. > Same goes for fractions.Fraction and [c]decimal.Decimal. All of them > are restricted to some subset of rational numbers, not all reals. > > > What specific behaviour would, for you, qualify as “works with the > > set of real numbers in any way”? > > Being able to represent surds, pi, e, etc, for a start. So, if I understand you right, you want to say that you've not found a computer that works with the *complete* set of real numbers. Yes? -- \ “To have the choice between proprietary software packages, is | `\ being able to choose your master. Freedom means not having a | _o__) master.” —Richard M. Stallman, 2007-05-16 | Ben Finney