Re: This calculation is just wrong / computer can't count!

Engineer and mathematician were told:

Suppose you have a male and a female at 1 m distance. Each minute they move
to half as close. When they meet?
Mathematician says: never.
Engineer says: in 10 minutes they'll be close enough for all practical
purposes.

Regarding your CNC example: If you cut an ideal crystal 1 m as big in 3
parts, and want each part to be exactly the same number of atoms in size,
even then 0.33333333333333331 is as good as 0.33333333333333337 for that
hypothetical CNC.

"GT" <ContactGT_remove_@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:0066e1ce$0$32149$c3e8da3@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

If your code were to drive a CNC machine tasked to cut objects into thirds
(assuming no waste, or equal waste from each third), then it would never
actually get it right. That is not opinion, that is fact. Each of the
thirds would be 0.33333333333333331 of the object, so tell us Joe, which
piece would you add the extra 0.00000000000000007 ? Of course, you can't
represent that number so who knows where is will go, but you certainly
won't end up with matching pieces.

The only illusion, or perhaps delusion here is in joes mind - he insists
that float and double are 100% accurate and he is wrong - they are only
very, very precise. The stored binary numbers are as close to the answer
as representable in x binary digits, so when you convert to decimal, you
get an answer that is as close to the answer was representable in x binary
digits, not an answer that is correct in decimal - there seems to be no
getting through to this man!



.

Relevant Pages

  • off topic - Scientist Jokes
    ... A physicist and a mathematician are in the faculty lounge having a cup ... The physicist rushes over to the wall, grabs a fire ... The engineer puts forty pounds into his pocket. ... The Programmer leans over to the Engineer and asks if he ...
    (sci.med.diseases.lyme)
  • Re: Heres some links for Klaus Schadenfreude (percentage of Jews who voted)
    ... A mathematician and an engineer are given this problem. ... I do realize the the Zeno's Paradox was solved a long time ago by ... I withdraw my suggestion that you help set Klaus and Scout ...
    (talk.politics.guns)
  • Re: Knowledge-proof arrogance
    ... mathematician for sure. ... To be a surpassingly good engineer, ... A cube shaped box with the edge length 1 m stands against a wall. ... A ladder of length 5 m leans against the wall, ...
    (rec.bicycles.tech)
  • Re: Knowledge-proof arrogance
    ... mathematician for sure. ... A cube shaped box with the edge length 1 m stands against a wall. ... A ladder of length 5 m leans against the wall, ... is, an infinitely thin "ladder," the engineer will say "Oh, this is ...
    (rec.bicycles.tech)
  • Re: Knowledge-proof arrogance
    ... mathematician for sure. ... A cube shaped box with the edge length 1 m stands against a wall. ... A ladder of length 5 m leans against the wall, ... is, an infinitely thin "ladder," the engineer will say "Oh, this is ...
    (rec.bicycles.tech)