Python fails on math

[Roy Smith]

In article <ik0rmr$ck4$1 at reader1.panix.com>,
 Grant Edwards <invalid at invalid.invalid> wrote:

> Python doesn't do equations.  Python does floating point operations.

More generally, all general-purpose programming languages have the same 
problem.  You'll see the same issues in Fortran, C, Java, Ruby, Pascal, 
etc, etc.  You'll see the same problem if you punch the numbers into a 
hand calculator.  It's just the nature of how digital computers do 
floating point calculations.

If you really want something that understands that:

>>>> 2*e*sqrt(3) - 2*e == 2*e*(sqrt(3) - 1)

you need to be looking at specialized math packages like Mathematica and 
things of that ilk.