Re: units library: A hash function approach type safe quantities

From: Eric Ford (eford_at_[hidden])
Date: 2001-10-02 11:11:20

> Yea, I agree.  I'm not convienced rational powers are all that
> important, so I generally just duck that entire issue.  The only way
> of doing it that I can see would be to use sqrt(lbs) is a natural
> object, then make it the unit and have lbs = (sqrt(lbs))^2.

For example, in the cgs system widely used for electromagnetic
calculations, electric charge has dimensions of length^(3/2) *
mass^(1/2) / time^2.  Similar fractional power appear for electric
current, electric field, magnetic field, etc..  I beleive any unit
library which can't handel them rational powers on dimensions and unit
should not have a chance at becoming standardized.

E