Re: Re: Re: odd mathematica blindspot
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg56560] Re: [mg56548] Re: [mg56502] Re: odd mathematica blindspot
- From: Bob Hanlon <hanlonr at cox.net>
- Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 03:20:01 -0400 (EDT)
- Reply-to: hanlonr at cox.net
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Rationalize[0.5] 1/2 %//N 0.5 Bob Hanlon > > From: Edward Peschko <esp5 at pge.com> To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > Date: 2005/04/28 Thu AM 02:40:51 EDT > Subject: [mg56560] [mg56548] Re: [mg56502] Re: odd mathematica blindspot > > From: Edward Peschko <esp5 at pge.com> To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net > Subject: [mg56560] [mg56548] Re: [mg56502] Re: odd mathematica blindspot > Reply-To: > > On Tue, Apr 26, 2005 at 09:53:49PM -0400, Skirmantas wrote: > > Hi Ed, > > > > By definition, 9999999999999/10000000000000 is an exact rational number, whereas 0.5 is an approximate real number: > > Well, that's completely unintuitive.. I understand it, but it still rubs me the > wrong way for some reason. '.5' on paper means that to me - .5 - not .4999999999 > or .50000000001 or whatever internal representation the computer chooses.. In fact, > that's why I got Mathematica in the first place, to get away from this approximate > stuff. > > Why couldn't mathematica treat .5 as a string, make the internal calculation > and turn .5 into 5/10? Or, barring that, is there a conversion function for this > (going back and forth between rational and approximate real? > > Ed > >