Comment on PEP-0238

[Skip Montanaro]

    Paul> That is simply not true. Most people do not expect these four
    Paul> expressions to yield different results:

    Paul> 1.0/3.0
    Paul> 1/3
    Paul> 1.0/3
    Paul> 1/3.0

    Paul> If you were taught this in school, it must be "new math".

Paul, I think you have it backwards.  "new math" is what is taught to people
like my kids who think basic electronic calculators have always cost less
than $10.  When I was in school people were taught in algebra that 1/3 has
been reduced to its simplest form and that "1/3" is the correct answer, not
"0.3333...".  Only people who grew up with calculators (I'm not in that
bunch - HP's cool nerd boxes came out when I was in college) think that 1/3
= 1.0/3.0 = 0.33333....  Those of use who learned how to calculate on slide
rules knew all about imprecise arithmetic. ;-) Most answers on tests were
either left as fractions, or the teacher/professor specifically jiggered the
constants and coefficients to yield results with whole number answers (or at
least answers where most of the intermediate calculations consisted of
cancelling common factors).

(This may be an argument more for rational numbers than for the status quo,
but I still think the status quo is better than 1/3 = 0.33333...)

-- 
Skip Montanaro (skip at pobox.com)
(847)971-7098