Path: csiph.com!usenet.pasdenom.info!weretis.net!feeder1.news.weretis.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed3a.news.xs4all.nl!xs4all!newsgate.cistron.nl!newsgate.news.xs4all.nl!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 0.068 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.87; '*S*': 0.00; 'correct.': 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; '*do': 0.16; 'finney': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'wrote:': 0.18; 'wed,': 0.18; 'feb': 0.22; 'saying': 0.22; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'point': 0.28; 'chris': 0.29; "doesn't": 0.30; 'subject:numbers': 0.31; 'writes:': 0.31; 'subject:the': 0.34; 'subject:with': 0.35; 'but': 0.35; 'received:com.au': 0.36; 'done': 0.36; 'so,': 0.37; 'clear': 0.37; 'ben': 0.38; 'e.g.': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'pm,': 0.38; 'rather': 0.38; 'that,': 0.38; '12,': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'number,': 0.60; 'free': 0.61; "you've": 0.63; 'real': 0.63; 'world': 0.66; 'believe': 0.68; 'computers': 0.72; '\xe2\x80\x93': 0.77; 'forth': 0.81; 'crush': 0.84; 'received:125': 0.84; 'thereof': 0.84; 'tolerance': 0.84; '\xe2\x80\x9cwe': 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 21:07:04 +1100 References: <8e4c1ab1-e65d-483f-ad9d-6933ae2052c3@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> <85ioskbtfm.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: sha1:4sgm2bYVK/MuPjkvBiu4hbfYHQ4= 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: 24 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1392199638 news.xs4all.nl 2831 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:48077 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:66023 Chris Angelico writes: > On Wed, Feb 12, 2014 at 7:56 PM, Ben Finney wrote: > > 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? > > Correct. […] My point is that computers *do not* work with real > numbers, but only ever with some subset thereof […] You've done it again: by saying that “computers *do not* work with real numbers”, that if I find a real number – e.g. the number 4 – your position is that, since it's a real number, computers don't work with that number. That's why I think you need to be clear that your point isn't “computers don't work with real numbers”, but rather “computers work only with a limited subset of real numbers”. -- \ “We have to go forth and crush every world view that doesn't | `\ believe in tolerance and free speech.” —David Brin | _o__) | Ben Finney