If we are dealing with real numbers (or even rational numbers) the following should not happen.
7 - 100 * 7 % 100 _8.88178e_16 ----- Original Message ----- From: Eldon Eller <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Friday, April 27, 2007 11:02 am Subject: Re: [Jgeneral] zero > I am not a mathematician, but my son is, and I parrot back what he > told > me. N.B., I may have it garbled: > > The real numbers are not naturally compact, in a topological > sense, > because they have no end. The real numbers may be compactified > either at > one point or at two. One point compactification introduces > infinity with > both positive and negative numbers ending at infinity. (The number > line > is closed in a circle.) Two point compactification introduces > positive > and negative infinities; their inverses produce positive and > negative > zeros. Both approaches are acceptable. It is incorrect to consider > them > as right and wrong, though some theorems are more conveniently > solved > with one or the other. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
