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Rational Numbers

Steven D'Aprano steve at REMOVE.THIS.cybersource.com.au
Fri Jan 12 19:22:47 EST 2007 
On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 17:15:56 +0000, Nick Maclaren wrote:

> In article <mailman.2650.1168618607.32031.python-list at python.org>,
> Facundo Batista <facundo at taniquetil.com.ar> writes:
> |> Noud Aldenhoven wrote:
> |> 
> |> > There are a (small) couple of other issues where rational numbers could be
> |> > handy. That's because rational numbers are exact, irrational numbers (in
> |> > python) aren't. But these issues are probably too mathematical to be used in
> |> 
> |> For the sake of me being less ignorant, could you please point me a
> |> language where irrational numbers are exact?
> 
> Some of the algebraic languages.  (2/3)^(1/5) is held as such and
> manipulated appropriately.
> 
> Yes, I know that's "cheating" :-)

I see your smiley, and I still don't understand. Why on earth would you
call it cheating for a language to have a data type that is suitable for
the data being used? Maybe it's a form of humour I don't get -- like
pointing at a car and saying "Look, a cow!".


-- 
Steven.
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