Re: [math-fun] math-fun Digest, Vol 154, Issue 11
to Andy Latto, well, consider the context. First I had in mind for 9 7/33 that the / actually was being printed as a horizontal line with 7 above and 33 below it. Second, keeping that in mind, if you saw 2/5 9 7/33 10 8/21 6 2/11 you'd think multiplication, right? Now actually, I am aware of the elementary school vs college conflict so I personally would try to avoid the ambiguity by using TIMES or + or parentheses or something. But if I had made no such effort, what would you think? -- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org <-- add your endorsement (by clicking "endorse" as 1st step)
Speaking of which, I once wrote a paper containing a formula like abc/de using a slash. I intended a*b*(c/d)*e which is how computer languages parse it. But at least one reader wrote me an infuriated letter making it clear he interpreted as (a*b*c)/(d*e). I then replied to clear up the matter, but about 6 years later same guy apparently re-read my paper, forgot my old reply, and sent me another infuriated letter saying same thing! But, I should have inserted parentheses to avoid this whole issue, lesson learned. -- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org <-- add your endorsement (by clicking "endorse" as 1st step)
In my youth all math books (maths books, actually) used abc/de to mean (abc)/(de). It is a great pity that Maple et al. are trying to change that convention. And a/b/c/d/e is an even worse idea. Best regards Neil Neil J. A. Sloane, President, OEIS Foundation. 11 South Adelaide Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904, USA. Also Visiting Scientist, Math. Dept., Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ. Phone: 732 828 6098; home page: http://NeilSloane.com Email: njasloane@gmail.com On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 3:17 PM, Warren D Smith <warren.wds@gmail.com> wrote:
Speaking of which, I once wrote a paper containing a formula like abc/de using a slash. I intended a*b*(c/d)*e which is how computer languages parse it.
But at least one reader wrote me an infuriated letter making it clear he interpreted as (a*b*c)/(d*e). I then replied to clear up the matter, but about 6 years later same guy apparently re-read my paper, forgot my old reply, and sent me another infuriated letter saying same thing! But, I should have inserted parentheses to avoid this whole issue, lesson learned.
-- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org <-- add your endorsement (by clicking "endorse" as 1st step)
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Warren, computer languages (that I am aware of) do *not* parse it as a*b*(c/d)*e but rather as (((a*b)*c)/d)*e which can be very different depending on the types involved, with respect to at least integer overflow, floating point overflow, denormals, and more. On Fri, Dec 11, 2015 at 12:17 PM, Warren D Smith <warren.wds@gmail.com> wrote:
Speaking of which, I once wrote a paper containing a formula like abc/de using a slash. I intended a*b*(c/d)*e which is how computer languages parse it.
But at least one reader wrote me an infuriated letter making it clear he interpreted as (a*b*c)/(d*e). I then replied to clear up the matter, but about 6 years later same guy apparently re-read my paper, forgot my old reply, and sent me another infuriated letter saying same thing! But, I should have inserted parentheses to avoid this whole issue, lesson learned.
-- Warren D. Smith http://RangeVoting.org <-- add your endorsement (by clicking "endorse" as 1st step)
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participants (3)
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Neil Sloane -
Tom Rokicki -
Warren D Smith