subexpressions (OT: math)

[Hendrik van Rooyen]

 "Steve Howell" <sh,,,,ll30 at yahoo.com> wrote:


> 
> --- Steven D'Aprano
> <steve at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au> wrote:

> > Angles are real numbers (in the maths sense), so
> > sqrt(pi/4) radians is
> > just as reasonable an angle as pi/4 radians. Both
> > are irrational numbers
> > (that is, can't be written exactly as the ratio of
> > two integers).
> > 
> 
> Yes, I understand that, but what is the geometrical
> meaning of the square root of an arc length?  And what
> would the units be?  If you take the square root of an
> area, the units change from acres to feet, or from
> square meters to meters.

*grin*  You are thinking like a physicist or an Engineer,
and all strength to your arm...

In this group, there are computer scientists, who are more 
interested in how you do the calculation than in what it means...

They revel in abstraction and would take the n'th root of
an angle just because they can...

: - )

- Hendrik