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Re: Bug 1+4/10

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg120141] Re: Bug 1+4/10
• From: "Oleksandr Rasputinov" <oleksandr_rasputinov at hmamail.com>
• Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2011 07:34:15 -0400 (EDT)
• References: <iv1acv$sk7$1@smc.vnet.net> <iv456e$eop$1@smc.vnet.net>

On Fri, 08 Jul 2011 09:52:54 +0100, slawek <human at site.pl> wrote:

> U=BFytkownik "Oleksandr Rasputinov"  napisa=B3 w wiadomo=B6ci grup
> dyskusyjnych:iv456e$eop$1 at smc.vnet.net...
>
>> Proper treatment of inexact numbers requires at least some care and
>
> There is no "inexact numbers". There are only inexact computations and=
/or
> measurements.
>
> 3.14 is an approximation of pi, but it is exactly 3+1/10+4/100
>

In this context, "inexact number" means a distribution, the exact number 
being the expectation value of this distribution. In the case of  
finite-precision inexact numbers we have uniform distributions over finite  
fields; the true expectation values are then the means, whose values are
however not necessarily exactly representable in such fields. I trust that  
you understand these concepts, so let us not enter into a futile debate 
over nomenclature or epistemology.