Big number calculations
[1/4] from: ptretter:norcom2000 at: 21-Feb-2001 12:33
Ok obviously REBOL has limitation with very big numbers. However,
with the kind of calculations I want to make alot of software will
have limitations. I'm looking to pick some brains for an alternative
to scientific notation. I like scientific notation as it represents
large numbers in a compact manner however; in my case, I have large
numbers and want to represent a very large number in the smallest
footprint possible. Scientific Notation doesnt acheive that with the
type of numbers I will be calculating. Any mathmatics gurus have any
ideas? References to where I can find out about the notations would
be helpful also.
Paul Tretter
[2/4] from: ryanc:iesco-dms at: 21-Feb-2001 11:35
What type of numbers are we talking about? Is there any type of
commonality between these numbers? For instance if you are representing
a binary progression, the number "9" could have and equivelent decimal
system value of 512. Another way to think about this technique is
degrees used to measure an angle. Accounting for the numbers range could
also be benificial in a shorter representation. Also what degree of
accuracy is desired?
Using a high number base could make a considerable difference. REBOL
supports base 64, and if you brew your own you probably could achieve
around base 94 by using common ascii characters.
If your trying to save disk or memory space, using raw binary
representation (ie "A" = 65 "AA" = 16705) is sensible. Of course many
number representations would yeild characters that are not necessarily
visible.
And of course there is always compression.
--Ryan
[ptretter--norcom2000--com] wrote:
[3/4] from: meekerdb:rain at: 21-Feb-2001 12:56
I'm not sure what you're asking (or whether I can help). If by footprint,
you mean printed representation, then using base 16, 32, 64, etc with
ascii or unicode symbols will work. If you mean computer memory space,
then you either have to give up on representing all numbers uniquely,
which is what exponential notation does, or you have to just accept the
memory hit and use bignums, as in LISP.
Brent Meeker
On Wed, 21 Feb 2001 [ptretter--norcom2000--com] wrote:
[4/4] from: sanghabum:aol at: 22-Feb-2001 12:32
[ptretter--norcom2000--com] wrote:
> Ok obviously REBOL has limitation with very big numbers. However,
> with the kind of calculations I want to make alot of software will
<<quoted lines omitted: 6>>
> ideas? References to where I can find out about the notations would
> be helpful also.
Ted Nelson's Xanadu project devised an arbitrarilly long type of number,
called (I think) a tumbler, complete with rules for adding and such like.
(Ted Nelson was/is the John the Baptist to Tim Berners-Lee, and tumblers
were/are the grand design for the sort of things we use URLs for).
Colin
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