Re: Significant digits in a float?

From	Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com>
Newsgroups	comp.lang.python
Subject	Re: Significant digits in a float?
Date	2014-05-01 22:05 +0100
Organization	$CABAL
Message-ID	<shpa3bxus8.ln2@news.ducksburg.com> (permalink)
References	(5 earlier) <roy-D8BB79.20423329042014@news.panix.com> <mailman.9618.1398902568.18130.python-list@python.org> <ljsghc$65b$1@speranza.aioe.org> <roy-0C9017.08561301052014@news.panix.com> <77Sdnblwr9UrOP_OnZ2dnUVZ_uednZ2d@giganews.com>

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On 2014-05-01, Larry Hudson wrote:

> On 05/01/2014 05:56 AM, Roy Smith wrote:

>> For those who have no idea what we're talking about, take a look at
>> http://www.ted.com/talks/clifford_stoll_on_everything.  If you just want
>> to see what you do with a slide rule, fast forward to 14:20, but you
>> really owe it to yourself to invest the 18 minutes to watch the whole
>> thing.
>>
>
> Anyone (besides me) ever seen a cylindrical slide rule?  I have one -- unfortunately misplaced 
> at the moment.  :-(
>
> The scales were helical around a cylinder giving (it was claimed) to be the equivalent of a 
> five-foot rule.  But that still only gave one additional significant digit.  Only two scales, 
> however, which limited its use to multiply/divide and logs.  But interesting.

I have a "circular" (really spiral) slide rule that I inherited from
my grandfather.

http://www.ducksburg.com/atlas_slide_rule/

One of my uncles told me that he took it (or a similar model) to
university (ca. 1960, I guess) & got an F on a calculus test because
his answers were too accurate & precise to be honest.  He went to the
professor's office, showed him the circular slide rule, & got an A.


-- 
To live without killing is a thought which could electrify the world,
if men were only capable of staying awake long enough to let the idea
soak in.                                             --- Henry Miller

Thread

Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-28 12:00 -0400
  Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-29 02:34 +0000
    Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-29 13:23 +1000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-29 05:43 +0000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-29 20:33 -0400
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:42 -0400
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-30 20:02 -0400
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 22:54 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Paul Rubin <no.email@nospam.invalid> - 2014-04-30 20:56 -0700
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 23:16 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? William Ray Wing <wrw@mac.com> - 2014-05-01 11:53 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 11:29 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 22:06 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 09:51 -0500
                Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-06 15:18 +0000
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Joel Goldstick <joel.goldstick@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 12:14 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-06 19:48 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-05-01 08:56 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Larry Hudson <orgnut@yahoo.com> - 2014-05-01 12:51 -0700
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 22:05 +0100
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 21:47 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-05-06 09:59 -0500
                [OT] Silde rules [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-05-06 16:10 +0000
                Re: [OT] Silde rules Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-05-07 10:01 +1000
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:55 +0100
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-05-01 22:26 -0400
                Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-08 20:58 +0100
    Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 09:38 -0400
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 02:30 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 19:53 -0400
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:13 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-30 10:13 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:17 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Ben Finney <ben@benfinney.id.au> - 2014-04-30 10:20 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:19 +0000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Ned Batchelder <ned@nedbatchelder.com> - 2014-04-29 12:47 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-30 09:45 +1200
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 02:59 +1000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-04-29 21:16 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark H Harris <harrismh777@gmail.com> - 2014-04-29 15:39 -0500
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 07:15 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Ryan Hiebert <ryan@ryanhiebert.com> - 2014-04-29 15:42 -0500
        Re: Significant digits in a float? emile <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-04-29 15:42 -0700
          Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-04-30 09:03 +0000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:21 +0000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? emile <emile@fenx.com> - 2014-05-01 09:34 -0700
              Re: Significant digits in a float? alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-01 17:13 +0000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 08:51 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-04-30 20:14 +1200
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 18:27 +1000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-30 14:05 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-04-30 00:34 +0100
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Dennis Lee Bieber <wlfraed@ix.netcom.com> - 2014-04-29 20:37 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:45 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 10:45 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 20:48 -0400
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-29 19:31 -0700
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-30 02:59 +0000
            Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-29 23:30 -0400
              Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 13:40 +1000
        Re: Significant digits in a float? Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 13:03 +1000
          Re: Significant digits in a float? Roy Smith <roy@panix.com> - 2014-04-30 08:01 -0400
        Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less  [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-30 06:14 -0700
        Re: Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less  [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ethan Furman <ethan@stoneleaf.us> - 2014-04-30 07:02 -0700
          Re: Off-topic  circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:52 +0100
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 00:27 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 05:10 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ryan Hiebert <ryan@ryanhiebert.com> - 2014-04-30 10:24 -0500
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Ian Kelly <ian.g.kelly@gmail.com> - 2014-04-30 17:46 -0600
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Terry Reedy <tjreedy@udel.edu> - 2014-04-30 22:20 -0400
          Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re:   Significant digits in a float?] Gregory Ewing <greg.ewing@canterbury.ac.nz> - 2014-05-01 18:16 +1200
          Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Adam Funk <a24061@ducksburg.com> - 2014-05-01 21:57 +0100
            Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less Mark Lawrence <breamoreboy@yahoo.co.uk> - 2014-05-01 22:49 +0100
            Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less alister <alister.nospam.ware@ntlworld.com> - 2014-05-02 08:49 +0000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Chris Angelico <rosuav@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 11:57 +1000
        Re: Off-topic circumnavigating the earth in a mile or less [was Re: Significant digits in a float?] Vlastimil Brom <vlastimil.brom@gmail.com> - 2014-05-01 09:49 +0200
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Steven D'Aprano <steve+comp.lang.python@pearwood.info> - 2014-04-30 02:50 +0000
      Re: Significant digits in a float? Grant Edwards <invalid@invalid.invalid> - 2014-04-30 18:18 +0000

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