Well, my opinion on this:
It is never safe to assume that computer calculations are correct.
One always should go back to the mathematics as much as possible. In
the case of this bug, the mathematics is trivial, so one can simply ignore the
bug. In more complicated scenarios, either one can rigorously prove
that calculations are correct (or acceptable within appropriate
bounds), or one has to accept that computations are simply suggestions
about what might be true.
-sen
On Fri, 3 Nov 2006, Yigal Weinstein wrote:
> Alright as an end user I find it frustrating/traumatic that such errors
> are to be expected. I have recompiled the latest Maxima with GCL and
> removed the Maxima I compiled with CLISP. My question is, was there any
> way of expecting this error in CLISP or is it a complete fluke?
>
> It seems so haphazard simplifying a simple trig. function and upon
> converting it to a float an error is produced, not just any error but an
> egregious one - this is somewhat traumatic as how can expect to use
> Maxima for any major programming let alone as a calculator?
>
> Please any words from programmers, and end users would be appreciated.
> _______________________________________________
> Maxima mailing list
> Maxima at math.utexas.edu
> http://www.math.utexas.edu/mailman/listinfo/maxima
>
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| Sheldon E. Newhouse | e-mail: sen1 at math.msu.edu |
| Mathematics Department | |
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