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List:       kde-devel
Subject:    Re: Open Bugs in 3.2
From:       Michael Pyne <pynm0001 () comcast ! net>
Date:       2004-01-11 20:06:08
Message-ID: 200401111506.10292.pynm0001 () comcast ! net
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On Sunday 11 January 2004 09:24, Nicolas Goutte wrote:
> That is how the FPU (floating point unit) works.
>
> Double has a certain number of significant bits, which makes it 15
> significant decimal digits (before and after decimal point.) As pointed
> out, the error is beyond that precision and therefore correct. The number
> *is* correct at the given precision.

Although technically true, even single precision is able to normally give four 
significant digits.  The problem isn't the fact that the answer is or is not 
correct, the problem is that the extra 1e-14 or so came from somewhere, and 
that somewhere wasn't from the user input.  Although we can blame it on 
decimal to binary conversion error, that excuse doesn't really fly if you ask 
me, since kcalc for 3.1.4 was able to successfully execute that input without 
the extra one.

It looks very unprofessional, and whoever had a desk calculator that gave that 
result should get it replaced.  ;-)  I have a Maytag giveaway calculator on 
my desk that gives the correct answer without extra zeroes and ones.

Regards,
 - Michael Pyne
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