> I define "have" to mean "the bit pattern for an IEEE floating > point (FP) negative zero exists in an array of FP in J".
The interpreter knows what arrays it has; The interpreter can not do anything without allocating memory; The interpreter allocates memory in a single place; In the single place, apply the existing minus_zero eradicator to every array. ----- Original Message ----- From: Dan Bron <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, April 23, 2007 10:29 am Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] zero > RM = Raul Miller, DB = me, RH = Roger Hui > > DB> %floating_zero > DB> _ > > RM> But % is not fixed. > > I only included % to demonstrate that I'd successfully created a > negative zero. The point of my message was the line above this. > > RH> You can not win. > > Au contraire. It is you who are doomed. > > RH> You have to use primitives. > > You have to use memory. > > RH> If all the primitives take care to > RH> eradicate minus zero, > > That was exactly the point; there are an infinite number of ways > for me to manipulate memory to create a negative zero. I could > even do it from outside of J. > > Our debate hinges on the definition of "have", used in the sentence: > > DB> J will still have a negative zero > > I define "have" to mean "the bit pattern for an IEEE floating > point (FP) negative zero exists in an array of FP in J". > > You appear to define it as "any Z that can be distinguised from 0 > using J primitives, such that y = y+Z where -. y e. 0,Z ". > > So our discussion is moot. > > RH> I estimate that it would take me less than an hour > RH> to build a version of J that can eradicate > RH> minus_zero, if I really wanted to. > > I estimate it would take me less than an hour to find a relevant > bug in it, if I really wanted to. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
