[SciPy-user] A proposal for a round(x,n) enhancement

[eric jones]

I'm thinking a new function would be the best route for this.  It could be
argued that both the current behavior and the requested (signiciant digit
rounding) behavior have equal claim to the name round().  However,
since rounding to the nth digit left of the 1's got there first, I don't see
a
compelling reason to change.

The significant digit behavior does sound useful though.  How about naming
it:
    significant(x,n)

If interested, add the implementation to the scipy/misc.py module and
submit a patch.

thanks,
eric

----- Original Message -----
From: "Christopher Smith" <csmith at blakeschool.org>
To: <numpy-discussion at lists.sourceforge.net>; <scipy-user at scipy.net>
Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 5:07 PM
Subject: [SciPy-user] A proposal for a round(x,n) enhancement


> Hello,
>
> I would like to see an addition to the round(x,n) function syntax that
> would allow
> one to specify that x should be rounded to the nth significant digit as
> opposed to
> the nth digit to the left or right of the 1's digit.  I am testing the
> waters right
> now on python-list and have not yet submitted a PEP.
>
> Some there have suggested that it be called a different function.  Someone
> else has
> suggested that perhaps it could be added into SciPy or Numeric as a
> function there.
>
> I prefer the name round because it describes what you are doing.  Someone
> suggested
> that MATLAB has a function called chop that does what I am proposing and
at
>
> http://www.math.colostate.edu/~tavener/M561/lab5/lab5.pdf
>
> the document says that the "MATLAB function chop(x,n) rounds (not chops!)
> the number
> x to n significant digits."  If this new function was called "chop" then
> any previous
> MATLAB users would know what to expect.  (But why call it chop if you are
> actually
> rounding?)
>
> What I think would be nice is to modify round so it can round to a given
> number of sig. figs.  Here is a def called Round that simulates what I am
> proposing:
>
>
> from math import floor,log10
> def Round(x,n=0):
> if n%1:
> d=int(10*n)
> return round(x,d-1-int(floor(log10(abs(x)))))
> else:
> return round(x,n)
>
> print Round(1.23456,2)   #returns 1.23
> print Round(1.23456,0.2) #returns 1.2
>
> The way that I have enhanced round's syntax is to have it check to see if
> there is a
> non-zero decimal part to n.  If there is, n is multiplied by 10 and the
> resulting
> value is used to compute which digit to round x to.  n=0.1 will round to
> the first
> significant digit while n=0.4 and n=1.1 will round to the 4th and 11th,
> respectively.
>
> I don't believe you will run into any numerical issues since even though
> something
> like .3 may be represented internally as 0.29999999999999999, multiplying
> it by 10
> gets you back to 3 and this value is what is used in the call to round()
>
> I am open to comments about implementation and function name.
>
> /c
>
> _______________________________________________
> SciPy-user mailing list
> SciPy-user at scipy.net
> http://www.scipy.net/mailman/listinfo/scipy-user