Inexact representation cases (Re: Against PEP 240)

[Aahz Maruch]

In article <m3ae3pb6wo.fsf at atrus.jesus.cam.ac.uk>,
Michael Hudson  <mwh at python.net> wrote:
>"Tim Peters" <tim.one at home.com> writes:
>> It turns out that the closest you can get in IEEE double is
>> 
>>     1.1 ~= 2476979795053773 / 2**51
>> 
>> which is, as a *decimal* number, *exactly*
>> 
>>     1.100000000000000088817841970012523233890533447265625
>
>How did you get these numbers?  I'm sure you posted the routine a week
>or so back, but I can't dig it out of google.
>
>I want to write a sys.displayhook that prints floats exactly, just for
>extra geekiness value.

You can use Decimal.py (with its associated bugs) from
http://starship.python.net/crew/aahz/
-- 
                      --- Aahz  <*>  (Copyright 2001 by aahz at pobox.com)

Androgynous poly kinky vanilla queer het Pythonista   http://www.rahul.net/aahz/
Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6

I surf faster than you do, monkey boy.  (My take on Netscape vs. Lynx)