🚀 go-pugleaf

markh@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Mark) writes:

>In article <1992Dec17.142150.7932@tom.rz.uni-passau.de> boerncke@kirk.fmi.uni-passau.de (Frank-Roland Boernke) writes:
>>How is it possible to work with irrationals in a table? Of course you cannot store
>>them digit by digit as there is an infinite number. But if you choose a finite 
>>representation e.g. two letters P and I for the sequence 3.141592654... how can 
>>you calculate say PI * PI? 

>Calculate PI * PI.
>Answer: PI*PI.

>Since "PI*PI" is a finite representation of PI * PI from which one can
>algorithmically computer any of its digits in finite time, this counts as a
>valid answer.

>If you don't consider this valid, then neither will you consider this valid:

>Calculate: 2 / 5
>Answer: 2/5.

>So then on that account, computers can't even work with fractions.

In case you are interested in exact real arithmetic...

Hans Boehm has written a simple calculator that performs arithmetic on
constructive real numbers. 

his calculator is called C_calc.

you can look it up on archie, or i can tell you where to get it. 

	bert.

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bert thompson	aet@munagin.ee.mu.oz.au.
SITEE		school of information technology and electrical engineering
		university of melbourne
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     g e t  t h e  p o i n t 
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