Re: [boost] Unlimited integer

From: Jens Maurer (Jens.Maurer_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-06-21 15:31:54

helmut.zeisel_at_[hidden] wrote:
> 
> Is there any interest in an unlimited integer class?

Yes, definitely.

> I wrote an unlimited integer class
> using the classical O(n**2) algorithms
> for multiplication and division,
> so it works reasonable fast up to some 100 decimal digits.

The implementation is not critical, as long as the interface
allows an implementation based on the GNU MP library and/or
other third-party libraries.

> It implements all the boost::operators interface
> and it should work as Integer type for boost::rational.

Let me remind that boost is mostly talking about interface.
Thus, a boost contribution that defines an unlimited-integer
type as an interface specification does make sense.  However,
implementation options such as the radix and its type should
not be considered part of the interface, because that
seriously limits the implementation options.

Jens Maurer