2 ms·

I guess "floats are weird" is a catchier title than "numerical computing is an acquired skill based in part on understanding the various consequences of value r

• stabbles 3y ago
  I think the title is alright. The curious thing is that both `f` and `g` have catastrophic cancellation, so you expect both to be inaccurate, but magically `g` recovers from it. Alternative title: catastrophic cancellation cancels out
  • Someone 3y ago
    > I think the title is alright I disagree (for the title I see now, which is “Floats are weird”). The problem isn’t about floats, but about inexact computation and, as you say, catastrophic cancellation. If, for example, you do all your computations in 7.6 digit base 11 numbers (seven digits before the undecimal point, six after it), you get the same problem.
• topaz0 3y ago
  It's at least nice to see somebody reasoning through where error comes from instead of just throwing up their hands as if the error was inexplicable. I agree that the title is unfortunate though.