Comments | noam_rion: Problems with representing numbers on computers, part 1

noam_rion

Problems with representing numbers on computers, part 1

Jan 14, 2006 21:17

notnotrebecca recently pointed out to me that online calculators incorrectly calculate 111111111*111111111. It should be 12345678987654321 (any time you multiply a string of ones by itself you get a nice symmetrical answer like that), except that the online calculators she tried consistently gave 12345678987654320 instead. (Note the zero on the end.)

( Here's what I found out. (It gets technical.) )

Comments 5

mskala January 15 2006, 02:23:09 UTC

Most offline calculators won't even give you an answer, because those numbers are too big for their 8- or 10-digit capacity.

noam_rion January 15 2006, 02:33:43 UTC

Yup. That's why I use bc.

noam_rion January 15 2006, 02:34:02 UTC

By the way, I just added a mention of two's complement since you read it.

Serialized Adventures in Mathematics. anonymous January 15 2006, 02:52:48 UTC

Every morning I rush to the RSS reader, looking for another issue of Noam's serialized Adventures in Mathematics.

"Two thumbs up!" -The Monthly Gazette.

"Has Zing, and Zest." -The New Post.

-Tyko.

inthewall January 15 2006, 06:50:06 UTC

hey, I think tomorrow might be filled up as well as me not really being in a complete phone mood, this week or next weekend sounds really good to me though.

*hugs*