IF and only IF there is an application for extended complex numbers-
which I expect to be much rarer than the need for extended numbers in
the first place- it would be possible to go back to the past and use the
get-around routines used in handling them with real numbers only and
scripting operations on these in rectangular components. It can be and
has been done. Exponential and related trigonometric operations also can
be extended but never will be exact. There is a definite cost in time
and space involved I have done this in APL*Plus and in a simulation of
an HP11 calculator -modified for complex number operations (in visual
Basic). If somebody has an urgent need for extended operations, they
can do this with their own definitions and accept the performance costs.
There appears to be a tendency to believe that a computer with an entry
of 2 significant figures can provide a result good to 8 or 10 sig figs.
Enough of a rant
Don Kelly
On 2017-09-09 2:34 AM, Raul Miller wrote:
What would it be used for? (Related: how would the exponential aspects
of complex number operations get handled?)
Thanks,
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