Dave Smith wrote: > Bryan Sant wrote: >> On 11/6/06, Levi Pearson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >>> When programming in C, C++, or Java (among others), standard numeric >> >> No, in java you use the BigInteger or BigDecimal class to deal with >> big numbers. These are arbitrary-precision numbers. They will grow >> until you run out of memory (or address space -- 32-bit systems blow). > > And in C/C++, you use GMP, which is really cool. I love having a single > integer that could use up your entire 4GB of virtual memory. > > Trivia: What's the largest integer that can be expressed with 4GB of > storage? What about 4GB * 4GB (i.e., 64 bits)?
Well, just as 4cm * 4cm = 16 cm^2, 4GB * 4GB = 16 GB^2. That's assuming we can figure out what a square byte is. I assume you meant to ask what the largest integer is that can be expressed with 16 exbibits[1] of memory. You didn't specify a representation. I suppose each combination of bits should express a different integer, and the expressible integers should range from 0 to some big number with no gaps in the sequence. That rules out all kinds of tricks like Busy Beaver numbers. Oh well. Given those rules, n bits can express integers from 0 to (2^n - 1). n is 2^64, so 16 exbibits can express integers from 0 to (2^(2^64) - 1). [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exbibit Shane /* PLUG: http://plug.org, #utah on irc.freenode.net Unsubscribe: http://plug.org/mailman/options/plug Don't fear the penguin. */
