newbie seeks inaccurate arithmetic insight

[Stanley Krute]

Hi Fredrik

> try using "%.17g" (show all significant digits) instead of "%f" (fudge it)

Aha !  Python defaults to Truth !

Verifying: Here's my c output using %.17g :

    http://static.userland.com/images/stanleydaily/carithmetic17g.gif

The inaccuracies exist 15 or so places to the
right of the decimal point.

In the Python test


http://static.userland.com/images/stanleydaily/pythonarithmetic.gif

the inaccuracies also exist 15 or so places to the right of the decimal
point. Interestingly, in this particular test case, because the answers run
beneath the ideal, the inaccuracies propagate their visibility to just 2 or
3 places to the right
of the decimal point.

> ...or use "print" in Python, to get str() instead of repr() behaviour:

Thanks for the tip !

Stan
just newbying along ....