[Edu-sig] Algebra 2

[Andre Roberge]

2008/10/3 michel paul <mpaul213 at gmail.com>:

[SNIP]


>
> Here's the same solution in Python:
>
> x0, y0 = input('Enter x0, y0 --->')
> x1, y1 = input('Enter x1, y1 --->')
> rise = y1 - y0
> run = x1 - x0
> if rise == 0: print 'y =',  y0
> elif run == 0: print 'x =',  x0
> else:
>     m = rise/run
>     b = y0 - m*x0
>     print 'y =', m, 'x +', b
>

I find that this (and even more so for the other solutions below) not
as readable as it should be.  For me, if/elif/else really gain from
being indented, and blank lines can also add to divide the program
into "functional unit".  So I would write instead:

x0, y0 = input('Enter x0, y0 ---> ')
x1, y1 = input('Enter x1, y1 ---> ')

rise = y1 - y0
run = x1 - x0

if rise == 0:
    print 'y =', y0
elif run == 0:
    print 'x =', x0
else:
    m = float(rise)/run   # avoid dividing two integers ...
    b = y0 - m*x0
    print "y = %f x + %f" % (m, b)

with perhaps some thoughts given to having a set number of decimal
places for the floats.

Just a thought...

André



> You can see the same logic, but it's a bit shorter.  That's because there's
> no use of GOTO.  The elimination of GOTO was one of the important features
> in the development of PASCAL, and ever since those days GOTO has been
> considered bad style.  It produces crazy and cumbersome code.  Functional
> organization is far superior.
>
> You can see that the Python version is just as easy to read, or easier, than
> the BASIC.  So, you can use Python in this simple procedural sort of way.
> However,  Python supports various paradigms, so you can also organize things
> functionally:
>
> def slope_intercept(A, B):
>     x0, y0 = A
>     x1, y1 = B
>     rise, run = y1 - y0, x1 - x0
>     if run == 0: return None, x0
>     m = rise/run; b = y0 - m*x0
>     return m, b
>
> And even here, the code is longer than it needs to be.  You can cut it down
> to:
>
> def slope_intercept(A, B):
>     rise, run = A[1] - B[1], A[0] - B[0]
>     if run == 0: return None, A[0]
>     return rise/run, A[1] - rise/run*A[0]
>
> And you can even cut it down more, but that's not the point.
>
> This accomplishes the same thing as the original, just without printing the
> equations.  You would then call this function to obtain the values of m and
> b for printing, if that's what you wanted to do, or, you could chain this
> function together with other functions to construct something more complex.
> It's what functional analysis is all about.  You consider I/O stuff
> decoration.  It's not the important part mathematically speaking.
>
> Functional decomposition of tasks ---> sure sounds like Analysis to me!  :
> )  Isn't it essentially the same kind of thinking?
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