Verbose and flexible args and kwargs syntax

Eelco hoogendoorn.eelco at gmail.com
Mon Dec 12 06:22:25 EST 2011


> The modulus is not the result but one of the arguments: when numbers x
> and y are congruent modulo n (stated in terms of the modulo operation:
> x mod n = y mod n), the modulus is n. A word for x mod n is remainder.
>
> I agree about the obscurity of using the percent sign as the operator.
>
> A quick google suggests that your use of 'modulus' is now popular
> among programmers. Past experience in mathematics newsgroups tells me
> that some mathematicians do not accept the existence of any remainder
> operator at all. Honest. (I see them but I cannot understand them.)

You are correct; the thing it computes is the remainder, not the
modulus. Nonetheless, 'x modulus y' is how it is put in natural
language, but I suppose math.remainder would be my preferred place to
put this.



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