Re: Possreps and numeric types

Marshall wrote:

> On Mar 26, 2:39 am, "David Cressey" <cresse..._at_verizon.net> wrote:
>

>>"Marshall" <marshall.spi..._at_gmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>>If the representation scheme  for integers is indefinitely extensible,  then
>>the field of rationals representable is likewise indefinitely representable.
>>Common decimal notation of integers is indefinitely extensible.  There are
>>other schemes.

>>In any finite computer,  it is only possible to actually represent a finite
>>subset of the integers,  and thus it is only possible to represent exactly a
>>finite subset of the rationals.  The problem is that the finite subset of
>>rationals will not, in general, exhibit closure under addition.  Thus one is
>>forced into the realm of approximation as soon as one begins to store the
>>results of arithmetic computation.

I don't think I would call resource exhaustion an acceptable limitation when adding two numbers both approximately equal to 1. Received on Mon Mar 26 2007 - 23:42:16 CEST