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

[Aahz]

On Fri, Apr 21, 2006, Mateusz Rukowicz wrote:
>
> 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.  And last thing - It would be nice
> to add some number-theory functions to math module (or new one), like
> prime-tests, factorizations etc.

To echo and amplify what Guido said: an excellent project would be to
rewrite the decimal module in C.  Another option would be to pick up and
enhance either of the GMP wrappers:

http://gmpy.sourceforge.net/
http://www.egenix.com/files/python/mxNumber.html

That would also deal with your suggestion of rational numbers.

Working with long ints would also be excellent, but I'd hesitate to
tackle that unless Tim Peters volunteers to help (because there may be
special implementation constraints).
-- 
Aahz (aahz at pythoncraft.com)           <*>         http://www.pythoncraft.com/

"Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours."  --Richard Bach