[Python-Dev] Numerical robustness, IEEE etc.

[Kevin Jacobs <jacobs@bioinformed.com>]

On 6/22/06, Nick Maclaren <nmm1 at cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> > > Not a lot.  Annex F in itself is only numerically insane.  You need to
> > > know the rest of the standard, including that which is documented only
> > > in SC22WG14 messages, to realise the full horror.
> [...]
> >Unfortunately, that doesn't help, because it is not where the issues
> >are.  What I don't know is how much you know about numerical models,
> >IEEE 754 in particular, and C99.  You weren't active on the SC22WG14
> >reflector, but there were some lurkers.
>


Hand wave, hand wave, hand wave.  Many of us here aren't stupid and have
more than passing experience with numerical issues, even if we haven't been
"active on SC22WG14".  Let's stop with the high-level pissing contest and
lay out a clear technical description of exactly what has your knickers in a
twist, how it hurts Python, and how we can all work together to make the
pain go away.

A good place to start: You mentioned earlier that there where some
nonsensical things in floatobject.c.  Can you list some of the most serious
of these?

Thanks,
-Kevin
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