Re: [boost] New Boost.XInt Library, request preliminary review

Subject: Re: [boost] New Boost.XInt Library, request preliminary review
From: Scott McMurray (me22.ca+boost_at_[hidden])
Date: 2010-04-02 12:30:02

On 2 April 2010 02:48, Gottlob Frege <gottlobfrege_at_[hidden]> wrote:
>
> 2. 1/inf = 0 *IS* exact. Â It is inexact while approaching inf, but
> finally exactly 0 'at' infinity.
>

Arguably, since we're dealing in round-toward-0 division, even 1/2 is
exactly 0.  The question I have then is whether at infinity the
remainder somehow manages to disappear.  Care to shed some light on
that?  \forall x > 1, divrem(1,x) = (0, 1), so as x -> inf, it'd still
be (0, 1).

I think the idea of "inexact" zeros came from the idea that 1/0 would
give infinity, where you'd then want a "-0" so that 1/-0 can give
negative infinity (like in floating point).  I think I was advocating
that at one point, but have since some to my senses.