Accuracy and error analysis (was Re: [Maxima] primes)

--- Albert Reiner  wrote:

> Make the user ask for error analysis explicitly:
> 
>     with_error_analysis([a : ..., b : ... ], a + b);
> 
> This would also make it easier to switch from, say, naive
> significance arithmetic to something more sophisticated.  
> And it would ensure that those who don't want this 
> functionality are not at all.

I'm entirely in agreement with this. I wouldn't want to see
rippling effects from error analysis propagating through
the rest of Maxima (not until error analysis is well-refined,
at least).

> With a full set of pre-processing / post-processing hooks
> analogous to Mma's $PreRead, $Pre, $PrePrint, $Post, one 
> can then easily arrange for with_error_analysis() to be
> wrapped around every expression if this is desired.

I'm afraid this makes me rather nervous. I don't think
global hooks are necessary for implementing error analysis,
and they bring the potential for just the kind of rippling
effects that I'd like to avoid.

For what it's worth,
Robert Dodier


		
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