[Python-Dev] Google Summer of Code proposal: improvement of long int and adding new types/modules.

[Guido van Rossum]

On 4/21/06, Mateusz Rukowicz <mateusz.rukowicz at vp.pl> wrote:
> I wish to participate in Google Summer of Code as a python developer. I
> have few ideas, what would be improved and added to python. Since these
> changes and add-ons would be codded in C, and added to python-core
> and/or as modules,I am not sure, if you are willing to agree with these
> ideas.
>
> First of all, I think, it would be good idea to speed up long int
> implementation in python. Especially multiplying and converting
> radix-2^k to radix-10^l. It might be done, using much faster algorithms
> than already used, and transparently improve efficiency of multiplying
> and printing/reading big integers.

That would be a good project, if someone is available to mentor it.
(Tim Peters?)

> Next thing I would add is multi precision floating point type to the
> core and fraction type, which in some cases highly improves operations,
> which would have to be done using floating point instead.
> Of course, math module will need update to support multi precision
> floating points, and with that, one could compute asin or any other
> function provided with math with precision limited by memory and time.
> It would be also good idea to add function which computes pi and exp
> with unlimited precision.

I would suggest doing this as a separate module first, rather than as
a patch to the Python core.

Can you show us some practical applications of these operations?

> And last thing - It would be nice to add some number-theory functions to
> math module (or new one), like prime-tests, factorizations etc.

Probably better a new module. But how many people do you think need these?

> Every of above improvements would be coded in pure C, and without using
> external libraries, so portability of python won't be cracked, and no
> new dependencies will be added.

Great -- that's important!

> I am waiting for your responses about my ideas, which of these you think
> are good, which poor etc. Main reason I am posting my question here is
> that, I am not sure, how much are you willing to change the core of the
> python.
>
> At the end, let my apologize for my poor English, I am trying to do my best.

No problem. We can understand you fine!

--
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)