Re: Outputting to file with fixed decimal digits
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg75332] Re: Outputting to file with fixed decimal digits
- From: Bill Rowe <readnewsciv at sbcglobal.net>
- Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:40:25 -0400 (EDT)
On 4/24/07 at 3:19 AM, do.not at reply.nonet wrote: >I have suggested using the "Floor" function - it's to avoid the >"Round" function which has the most bizarre definition in >Mathematica - it doesn't give the same answer every time. (Look in >"Further Examples" in the Help on "Round") Hmm... Are you referring to the note that indicates the output of Round alternates between rounding up and rounding down for xxxxx.5? If so, this really isn't indicating you get different answers with the same input which seems to be what you are implying with "it doesn't give the same answer every time". =46or a value of the form xxxx.5 you've one of three choices Round to xxxx --- introduces a negative statistical bias Round to xxxx + 1 --- introduces a positive statistical bias do what Mathematica does and avoid a statistical bias While I can understand you may be used to a different choice than being made by Mathematica or there may be some application where a different choice is preferred, each of the choices above is equally valid. And none of them (assuming they are consistently applied) equates to not getting the same answer from the same input data. -- To reply via email subtract one hundred and four