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>Likewise when we say "numerical issues", it's understood that we're talking about situations in which the usual approximation of real numbers by floating point
by fuzztester 3y ago
>Likewise when we say "numerical issues", it's understood that we're talking about situations in which the usual approximation of real numbers by floating point representations breaks down.
Guys, try this in your desktop or mobile app calculator:
do square root of 2.
then subtract from it the result that you see on screen.
for me:
√2−1.41421356237
i get:
3.095048801E−12
i.e. not 0.
I discovered this on a physical Casio electronic calculator long back, and also verified it just now on a stock Android mobile calculator app.
what is your result, and interpretation of it?
- anamexis 3y agoIt's just the difference between internal and displayed precision. sqrt(2) ≈ 1.414213562373095048801 So if you type in sqrt(2) - 1.41421356237, you're just getting the next 10 digits after that. 1.414213562373095048801 - 1.41421356237 _________________________ 0.000000000003095048801 = 3.095048801e12
- fuzztester 3y agoyes, exactly :) that's what i figured out when i first came across this, in school.
- TacticalCoder 3y ago> what is your result, and interpretation of it? that the square root of 2 is not 1.41421356237.
- fuzztester 3y agotrue, because the √2 is an irrational number. but I was looking for an answer more along the lines that anamexis gave.