Problems with representing numbers on computers, part 2

[noam_rion]

This may not make sense until you read Problems with representing numbers on computers, part 1.

Comments

[anonymous]

Scheme represents rational fractions exactly, as a pair of integers, and the integers can be of arbitrary length. This is part of the language standard. So a Scheme interpreter makes a pretty good calculator. (You can cast numbers into floating-point form, but they're tagged as inexact to remind you.)

[vruba]

Common Lisp does this too, and there’s a Ruby module for it. GMP has a nice-looking rational library. The idea seems to be catching on, and I’m glad.

[notnotrebecca]

Nice. I didn't realize the answer to that question was going to be quite so involved, or how much I was going to learn about programming from this. Thanks for checking it out!