Re: Numeric problem in BlackBox 1.4

From: [at]} <Wojtek>
Date: Mon, 17 Feb 2003 15:06:20 -0500 (EST)

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Robert and Dominik:

  testing REALs for equality is in fact advised against
in every programming textbook, precisely because of the
small differences that can get lost along the way.
The textbooks would rather suggest the test of the form
IF (ABS (real1 - real2) < epsilon) THEN
where the epsilon is a constant considered insignificant
in a given application.

How about adding an error level WARNING to either the compiler
or the DevAnalyzer which would flag f.p. data types used
with the "=" relation?

Thank you,

Wojtek Skulski skulski{([at]})nowhere.xy
On Mon, 17 Feb 2003, Dominik Gruntz wrote:

> > I guess that 1.000000000000000001 is non-unity
> > as an 80-bit IEEE number, but rounds to 1 when
> > stored as a 64-bit IEEE number.
> >
> > As an example try x := Math.Pi()
> >
> > then later try
> >
> > x = Math.Pi(). The answer is FALSE.
> >

>
> The constants defined in a Module are stored in REAL
> precision, so the above argument does not apply.
> But you are right, 1+10^(-18) is not 1 in 80 bit IEEE,
> but it is 1.0 in 64 (REAL) precision.
>
> Given the following module, the command Test.Do
> prints $FALSE.
>
> - Dominik
>
>
> MODULE Test;
>
> IMPORT StdLog, Math;
>
> PROCEDURE OnePlusTenToThePowerOfMinusEighteen(): REAL;
> BEGIN RETURN 1 + Math.IntPower(10, -18);
> END OnePlusTenToThePowerOfMinusEighteen;
>
> PROCEDURE Do*;
> VAR x: REAL;
> BEGIN
> x := OnePlusTenToThePowerOfMinusEighteen();
> StdLog.Bool(x = OnePlusTenToThePowerOfMinusEighteen());
> END Do;
>
> END Test.
>
>
>
>

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Received on Mon Feb 17 2003 - 21:06:20 UTC

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