[SciPy-Dev] adding chkfinite flags to linalg functions

[Nathaniel Smith]

On Sat, Aug 27, 2011 at 1:36 AM, Ralf Gommers
<ralf.gommers at googlemail.com> wrote:
>> On 08/26/2011 02:41 PM, Robert Kern wrote:
>> > Because we want the *default* to be safe for all inputs. We want to
>> > *allow* people to avoid those checks when they have extra information
>> > about the inputs. Adding a flag is a more convenient way to do this
>> > than any other alternative.
>>
> OK, so this idea seems to be getting a positive reception. The thing that
> still needs to be resolved is whether to call the keyword chkfinite or
> check_finite. I have a slight preference for the latter, because it's more
> readable (googling a a keyword seems less important).

As per the observation upthread that these names say what the
implementation does, rather than why it does it, which may leave
people using it as a generic go-faster knob without realizing the
risks involved... what about something like "assume_finite"?
Assumptions are things that bite you when they are false.

-- Nathaniel