Re: bug in IntegerPart ?
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg47850] Re: bug in IntegerPart ?
- From: ancow65 at yahoo.com (AC)
- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 00:35:06 -0400 (EDT)
- References: <c6l8dj$isr$1@smc.vnet.net>
- Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com
Bill Rowe <readnewsciv at earthlink.net> wrote in message news:<c6l8dj$isr$1 at smc.vnet.net>... > On 4/26/04 at 2:41 AM, ancow65 at yahoo.com (AC) wrote: > > >"DrBob" <drbob at bigfoot.com> wrote in message > >news:<c6g015$4lk$1 at smc.vnet.net>... > >>There's NO reason to be puzzled. 1.65 and 1.3 can't be represented > >>exactly in binary, so of course their difference may not be exact, > >>either. Hence the division problems have different numerators. > > > >Your 'explanation' makes no sense whatsoever. Mathematica's binary > >representations of 1.65-1.3 and 0.35 are the same. That can be seen > >by comparing BaseForm[1.65 - 1.3, 2] with BaseForm[0.35,2] > > BaseForm isn't doing what you think and will not show the difference. BaseForm controls only the display of a number. By default Mathematica displays a number to 6 significant digits. Both 1.65 - 1.3 and .35 are the same to 6 significant digits. Consequently, these will display the same when using BaseForm. > > To see the difference use RealDigits or FullForm. Both of these clearly show the difference between 1.65 - 1.3 and .35. The decimal numbers (1.65 - 1.3) and .35 are identical. The way Mathematica performs subtraction makes them different. > > >(n = 2^^0.010110011001100110011 ) > > => 0.350000 > > Right, here you've inputed a number accurate to 6 significant digits. So, Mathematica displays 6 significant digits When I type 0.35, Mathematica assumes the machine precision. Precision[0.35] => MachinePrecision % // N => 15.9546 Isn't that natural to expect similar for binary numbers? > > > Notice the unussual display of trailing zeros. > > No, not unusual. Exactly as it should be. If I input 6 significant digits as > > .35`6, I expect Mathematica to display 6 significant digits with the default settings. And, I guess, you don't see any problems with these three inputs 0.350000000000 N[0.350000000000, 6] 0.35`2 producing the same output 0.35. > > >Additionally, a completely legitimate expression > >2^^BaseForm[0.35`, 2] > >produces a syntax error message. > > The expression 2^^BaseForm[0.35, 2] isn't a legitimate expression. BaseForm puts a wrapper on the expression to control display. That is Head at BaseForm[0.35, 2] is BaseForm, not a sequence of binary digits. BaseForm[0.35, 2] might be wrong as argument for 2^^#& but still it is not a syntax error. Would you agree that the following expression (which also generates a syntax error) is legitimate? fun := 2^^# & What about this syntax error? x=1; 2^^x In better design 2^^BaseForm[0.35, 2] should return 0.35` or at minimum unchanged expression. AC