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Comment Re:Infinity (Score 1) 1067

Of course. Then do your check for zero before the division, if your latency requirements can handle it. If either option doesn't meet spec, then your specifications are where the "bug" is...

I kinda assumed that if someone is looking for a CPU to assign a number when dividing by zero, he's not in a job where they're asking him to do low-latency signal processing. VisualBasic is probably a better fit for his career path.. ;)

Comment Re:Simple (Score 1) 1067

sqrt(1^2) does not imply 1, nor does sqrt((-1)^2) imply -1, they both could be either positive or negative: sqrt(1^2)=±1

The last equality should appear as ±1=±1

Congratulations; you've hit on another undefined answer in mathematics and exploited it to make the rest of the uneducated think you're smart.. or something.

Comment Re:Infinity (Score 1) 1067

That is simply false. There are an infinite number of algorithms that might contain the (sub)expression X/X for which zero is a valid value of X. To assume it's a programming error is sheer unmitigated stupidity that I might expect from a mathematician that has never written a real program in his life.

As someone with a degree in mathematics and a degree in computer science (with special academic honors, I might add), I strongly disagree. Fix your damn program to check for a dividend of zero, or at least trap the exception and handle it then. If NaN or any of the infinities are useful in your computation, do it outside the normal math libraries or choose a language that explicitly permits them.

To assert that it's not a programming error is sheer unmitigated arrogance that I might expect from a code monkey who barely scraped by his high-school math courses, assuming you even attended any.

And yes, I've made my living writing programs, many of which benefitted from my knowledge of higher mathematics.

Comment brawl of the nanocentury! (Score 2) 22

Coming this Sunday! SUNDAY! SUNDAY!
In the Extra-LARGE Nanocage!

The Maryland University Laboratory for Physical Sciences -vs- DWave!
in an no-holds barred entangled deathmatch!

1QB -vs- zombEinstein

NIST -vs- Hal Puthoff
in a teleportation race for the cash!

and a special guest appearance by Oderus Urungus singing the National Anthem before the show

general seating only $11.11 at the door
BE THERE! or maybe not.

Comment who said you have to have a job? (Score 1) 367

Whatever happened to automation leading to a leisuretopia with a five-hour work week?
Oh, right, the people buying the robots that are replacing workers are keeping all the productivity gains 100% for themselves.

In a rational society, we would have a robot tax.
In our society we pit the eroding middle-class against the poors and lock up more people than we can afford to.

Don't put me in a cage for taking bread from your yacht.

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When it is incorrect, it is, at least *authoritatively* incorrect. -- Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy

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