Re: [boost] [safe_numerics] Review

Subject: Re: [boost] [safe_numerics] Review
From: Robert Ramey (ramey_at_[hidden])
Date: 2017-03-12 16:20:36

On 3/12/17 3:32 AM, Paul A. Bristow via Boost wrote:
>
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Boost [mailto:boost-bounces_at_[hidden]] On Behalf Of Robert Ramey via Boost
>> Sent: 12 March 2017 05:37
>> To: boost_at_[hidden]
>> Cc: Robert Ramey
>> Subject: Re: [boost] [safe_numerics] Review
> <snip>
>
>>> I do think this library might be much more useful with floating point
>>> support, if it is eventually added.
>>
>> indeed.
>>
>> Want to voluteer?
>>
>> I'm sure that floating point would end up a lot more complex than first
>> meets the eye though.
>
> "Die ganzen Zahlen hat der liebe Gott gemacht, alles andere ist Menschenwerk."
>
> Integers are made by the Good Lord, all others are man's work.
>  -- Leopold Kronecker
>
> ;-)
>

Very clever and appropriate.  Among the "others", we can count integers 
represented by computers.

Since you've ventured off topic into "funny" incidents.  Here's mine

tl;dr;
A number of years ago 2010? BoostCon (C++Now) was casting about for a 
keynote speaker.  I suggested William Kahan (a professor of mine in 
1970)- well known mathematician responsible for design of the 8087 
floating point processor, IEEE784 standard and winner of the Turing 
award.  I contacted the program committee.  The first problem was that 
no on on the committee had heard of him.  After a litte bit they 
suggested I feel him out about being keynote.  I did so and he agreed. 
I informed the committee that he would do it.  But they weren't 
convinced and kept him for a backup - while they settled on someone 
else.  Which would have been OK except that they took way too long to 
decide and annoyed Dr. Kahan.  Since I had put myself "out there" on 
this I was pretty pissed off.

But the really interesting part of the story is how little computer 
programmers of today actually know or care about numbers.  It shows up 
all over the place. It's up to a small group of insurgents (boost) to 
bring the world to it's senses.

Robert Ramey