On Thu, 2007-01-11 at 23:47 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote: > In article <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, > Facundo Batista <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > |> Noud Aldenhoven wrote: > |> > |> > When I was programming in a mathematical project I began to wonder if > python > |> > supports rational numbers[1]. In a language like magma[2] it's not such a > |> > problem. Does python supports something simular? > |> > |> Python does not have rational numbers. > |> > |> There's a (rejected) PEP about this, PEP-239: > |> > |> http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0239/ > |> > |> Maybe you also want to read the section "Why not rational?" of > |> PEP-327... > |> > |> http://www.python.org/dev/peps/pep-0327/#why-not-rational > > Oh, God. Decimal delusions again :-( > > There are good arguments for not having a rational type, but the idea > that decimal floating-point is in any way a replacement is cuckoo.
You're putting words in Facundo's mouth. Facundo didn't say why we should read that section of PEP 327. I think he merely pointed to the slow performance of rational numbers that's explained in that section. (Facundo is the author of PEP 327, so I find it unlikely that he has delusions about what decimals can and can't do.) It is true that decimal arithmetic is not a replacement for rational arithmetic, but I don't see anybody on this thread or in PEP 327 stating that it is. -Carsten -- http://mail.python.org/mailman/listinfo/python-list
