Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!newsfeed.datemas.de!rt.uk.eu.org!newsfeed.xs4all.nl!newsfeed1a.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 0.027 X-Spam-Evidence: '*H*': 0.95; '*S*': 0.00; 'explicit': 0.07; 'governments': 0.09; 'received:80.91': 0.09; 'received:80.91.229': 0.09; 'received:gmane.org': 0.09; 'received:list': 0.09; 'finney': 0.16; 'hmm.': 0.16; 'precision.': 0.16; 'received:80.91.229.3': 0.16; 'received:plane.gmane.org': 0.16; 'zeroes': 0.16; 'header :User-Agent:1': 0.23; 'fairly': 0.24; 'header:X-Complaints-To:1': 0.27; 'writes:': 0.31; 'problem': 0.35; 'good.': 0.35; 'subject:?': 0.36; 'ben': 0.38; 'to:addr:python-list': 0.38; 'does': 0.39; 'to:addr:python.org': 0.39; 'received:org': 0.40; 'more': 0.64; 'different': 0.65; '10%': 0.74; 'received:125': 0.84; 'speech': 0.84; 'uncertain': 0.84; 'incorporated': 0.95 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: python-list@python.org From: Ben Finney Subject: Re: Significant digits in a float? Date: Wed, 30 Apr 2014 10:20:28 +1000 References: <535f0f9f$0$29965$c3e8da3$5496439d@news.astraweb.com> <85bnvjk72p.fsf@benfinney.id.au> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: jigong.madmonks.org X-Public-Key-ID: 0xAC128405 X-Public-Key-Fingerprint: 517C F14B B2F3 98B0 CB35 4855 B8B2 4C06 AC12 8405 X-Public-Key-URL: http://www.benfinney.id.au/contact/bfinney-pubkey.asc X-Post-From: Ben Finney User-Agent: Gnus/5.13 (Gnus v5.13) Emacs/23.4 (gnu/linux) Cancel-Lock: sha1:kaQ1GatBDFoV4/4WsB9IEQyKSV4= 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: 16 NNTP-Posting-Host: 2001:888:2000:d::a6 X-Trace: 1398817242 news.xs4all.nl 2850 [2001:888:2000:d::a6]:58299 X-Complaints-To: abuse@xs4all.nl Xref: csiph.com comp.lang.python:70743 Ben Finney writes: > The problem is you won't know *which* 90% is accurate, and which 10% is > inaccurate. This is very different from the glass, where it's evident > which part is good. Hmm. Re-reading the suggestion, I see that it is fairly predictable which estimates of precision will be inaccurate: the ones which end in explicit zeroes are more uncertain in their intended precision. -- \ “[F]reedom of speech does not entail freedom to have your ideas | `\ accepted by governments and incorporated into law and policy.” | _o__) —Russell Blackford, 2010-03-06 | Ben Finney