Re: Possreps and numeric types

From: David Cressey <cressey73_at_verizon.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Mar 2007 12:07:20 GMT
Message-ID: <YZNOh.14274$l96.8422_at_trndny06>


"Gene Wirchenko" <genew_at_ocis.net> wrote in message news:b1bm035ih2tc11fjisnk04ep6a7cecc2pv_at_4ax.com...
> Bob Badour <bbadour_at_pei.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> [snip]
>
> >I admit I used epsilon somewhat sloppily and not necessarily with the
> >exact meaning used when discussing a particular floating-point
> >implementation. I used it to mean the distance to the representable
> >predecessor or successor of any representable rational value.
>
> That is incorrect. It is per
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machine_epsilon
> In a floating-point system, epsilon is the smallest number such that
> 1 + epsilon > 1
>

The difference between the Wiki definition and Bob's usage is just about an epsilon's worth of difference. I tend to use a more sloppy term, myself. I use "close enough for government work". Received on Thu Mar 29 2007 - 14:07:20 CEST

Original text of this message