[Python-ideas] Suggestion: Extend integers to include iNaN

[Steven D'Aprano]

On Sat, Sep 29, 2018 at 09:11:41AM -0400, Richard Damon wrote:

> I would think that a possibly better solution would be the creation of a
> NAN type (similar  to NONE) that implement this sort of property. That
> way the feature can be added to integers, rationals, and any other
> numeric types that exist (why do just integers need this addition).

Having NAN be a seperate type wouldn't help. If x needs to be an int, it 
can't be a separate NAN object because that's the wrong type.

If ints had a NAN value, then rationals would automatically also get a 
NAN value, simply by using NAN/1. That's similar to the way that the 
complex type automatically gets NANs, on the basis that either the real 
or imaginary part can be a float NAN:

py> complex(1, float('nan'))
(1+nanj)




-- 
Steve