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Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros

From Dr J R Stockton <reply1600@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid>
Newsgroups comp.lang.javascript
Subject Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros
Date 2016-12-22 23:43 +0000
Organization Home
Message-ID <LMKbWltZUGXYFwDf@invalid.uk.co.demon.merlyn.invalid> (permalink)
References <84234e86-ac01-4a9e-9d21-dc1cdc30678c@googlegroups.com> <1bm6A.536745$IJ6.194196@fx46.am4>

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In comp.lang.javascript message <1bm6A.536745$IJ6.194196@fx46.am4>, Wed,
21 Dec 2016 02:55:57, cyber@2trom.com posted:

>abdulapopoola@gmail.com wrote:
>> Do you know that there are actually two zero value types in
>>JavaScript (as well as most languages)? Read to know why this matters,
>>what scenarios to watch out for and some of the quirks of the IEEE 754
>>standard.
>>
>> https://abdulapopoola.com/2016/12/19/why-javascript-has-two-zeros-0-and-0/
>
>I imagine that also having -0i and 0i might be too complex for JavaScript.

JavaScript has two zeroes (of equal but distinguishable values) because
IEEE 754 is a sign-magnitude-exponent representation.  They are the
reciprocals of the two infinities.  long-established readers with good
memories should recall at least one occasion on which having two zeroes
was arithmetically useful.

In JavaScript one can set PlusI = [0,+1] and MinusI = [0,-1], and write
arithmetic functions to operate on and return values of that nature.  It
is known that Math.POW(PlusI, PlusI) should return
0.207879576350761908546955... - and other values.

-- 
 (c) John Stockton, Surrey, UK.  ¬@merlyn.demon.co.uk   Turnpike v6.05   MIME.
 Merlyn Web Site <                       > - FAQish topics, acronyms, & links.

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Thread

Why JavaScript has two zeros abdulapopoola@gmail.com - 2016-12-19 21:09 -0800
  Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2016-12-20 11:46 +0100
    Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros John Harris <niam@jghnorth.org.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-20 17:58 +0000
      Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2016-12-20 23:56 +0100
        Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros John Harris <niam@jghnorth.org.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-21 13:59 +0000
  Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros <cyber@2trom.com> - 2016-12-21 02:55 +0000
    Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Dr J R Stockton <reply1600@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-22 23:43 +0000
      Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros "Evertjan." <exxjxw.hannivoort@inter.nl.net> - 2016-12-23 09:04 +0100
        Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Dr J R Stockton <reply1600@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-25 22:15 +0000
        Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Dr J R Stockton <reply1600@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-25 23:39 +0000
      Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Tim Streater <timstreater@greenbee.net> - 2016-12-23 09:05 +0000
      Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Ram Tobolski <ramtob@gmail.com> - 2016-12-24 02:28 -0800
        Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros Dr J R Stockton <reply1600@merlyn.demon.co.uk.invalid> - 2016-12-25 22:00 +0000
    Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros "Michael Haufe (TNO)" <tno@thenewobjective.com> - 2016-12-26 12:08 -0800
  Why JavaScript has two zeros Ram Tobolski <ramtob@gmail.com> - 2016-12-21 10:20 -0800
  Re: Why JavaScript has two zeros "Michael Haufe (TNO)" <tno@thenewobjective.com> - 2016-12-26 12:03 -0800

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