7 Jan
2014
7 Jan
'14
8:29 p.m.
On Jan 7, 2014, at 5:27 PM, Peter Corlett <abuse at cabal.org.uk> wrote:
On Tue, Jan 07, 2014 at 07:50:10PM -0500, Paul Koning
wrote:
[...]
Since we're on this topic...my usual calculator is Macsyma (yes, the giant
LISP
program that can do symbolic computation). I mainly use it for a few reasons:
1) it does "infinite" precision math, so I don't *ever* worry about long
computations
having errors due to intermediate rounding
2) I can get it to present results as the ratio of two integers (sometimes very big
integers) which is useful for a lot of what I do at times
3) it does symbolic computation
4) it's written in LISP (sorry had to add that one). ;-)
TTFN - Guy
Or they might be people like me ? I?ve been a
professional programmer for 40
years and I?m most likely to type ?python? when I need to do some quick
calculation. But I also keep a slide rule in my office. (Also an abacus ? but
unfortunately that one is still only decoration, I have not yet learned how
to use it.)
The Python REPL is also my usual calculator.
I used to own a slide rule as a gag item to keep on my desk, but it went
walkies in the late 1990s. It, like a RPN calculator, is a tool of a bygone era
in that while I have no difficulty understanding the theory of operation and
could figure out how to use them from first principles, I'd rather not actually
do so when there are easier and more accurate tools around.