Use "quotient"? (was Re: proposed language change to int/int==float (was: PEP0238 lament))

[Manoj Plakal]

Guido van Rossum <guido at python.org> wrote on Tuesday 24 July 2001 23:18:
> Gareth.McCaughan at pobox.com (Gareth McCaughan) writes:
>> To any mathematician on the planet, 1/2 is, well, 1/2.
>> A rational number quite different from 0.
> 
> Right. 

        It seems to me that the word "division" is being sorely
        overloaded in these threads as well as in PEP 238. Would
        it be more precise (mathematically and otherwise) to
        reword things like this:

           - currently, the symbol `/' in Python programs signifies
             two different operators depending on the arguments:
                 - the QUOTIENT operator with 2 integer arguments

                 - the DIVISION operator with at least 1 float 
                   argument

           - the proposed change is to make '/' always signify the
             DIVISION operator and '//' always signify the QUOTIENT
             operator

         Seems to be more clear than saying "integer division"
         or "truncating division" or "float division". 
         
         Just my 2 cents ...
  
         Manoj