[Numpy-discussion] RE: Python 2.2 seriously crippled for numerical computation?

[Alberto Griggio]

some other examples which may be useful...

Mandrake 8.1, GCC 3.0.2, libc 2.2.4

Python 2.2 (#3, Jan 28 2002, 11:45:43) 
[GCC 3.0.2] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> 1e-200**2
0.0
>>> 

but ...

#include <stdio.h>
#include <math.h>
#include <errno.h>
#include <string.h>

int main(void)
{
    double d;
    errno = 0;
    d = pow(1e-200, 2);
    if(!errno) printf("OK: %f\n", d);
    else printf("Error: %d, %s\n", errno, strerror(errno));
    return errno;
}

prints: Error: 34, Numerical result out of range

On slackware 8.0, GCC 2.95.3, libc 2.2.3, both the python and the C
code fail.

Finally, if you change pow to powf in the C code above, it gives no 
error.

Hope someone can understand what's happening...

Bye,
Alberto Griggio