Greetings! Henry Baker <hbak...@pipeline.com> writes:
> Re: > > Lisp arithmetic should be compatible with IEEE float arithmeticFor > various interpretations of 'float' and/or 'arithmetic' ?There was a > reason why Maclisp used a separate function namefor float arithmetic > functions, and it wasn't just to speedup float arithmetic. > The real reason is that *floats don't adhere to standard algebraic > axioms*. > 1. Float addition isn't associative. > 2. Float addition isn't necessarily commutative -- e.g., when > utilizing accumulation HW. Oof.... I had no idea this was so bad. I don't see how we can reason about real numbers without relying on their constituting a field. I'd be particularly interested in your opinion on the two alternatives I set out in separate email, given how I've based GCL's type system on your paper :-) Take care, -- Camm Maguire c...@maguirefamily.org ========================================================================== "The earth is but one country, and mankind its citizens." -- Baha'u'llah
