Re: GCD limitations



I'm afraid that there will always be a chance of
commands not doing what people think they do.  If
you want to have an integerGCD, that might still
do  integerGCD(m,n)--> error, m and/or n is not
an integer....

and polynomialGCD(2^n,4^n) --> ... non-polynomial
inputs.



Stavros Macrakis wrote:
> The current GCD function computes polynomial GCDs.  I think that is
> rather misleading--perhaps it should be called pgcd or something.
> 
> Carl McTague points out that the current gcd gives gcd(m,n)=>1, which is
> of course incorrect in general.  It also gives gcd(2^n,4^n)=>1 instead
> of 2^n (even if n is declared integer and >0); gcd(n!,m!)=>1 instead of
> min(n,m)!; etc.
> 
>       -s
>