Re: Re: Applying Sign Bit

Also, there is no "flag" value for negative numbers

Actually, there is. In perl, numbers are normally floating point. Most machines nowadays use IEEE standard floats, which are sign-magnitude, not two's complement. Being able to calculate 1/(-0)=-Inf is supposed to make things easier for certain numerical algorithms.

Comment on Re: Re: Applying Sign Bit

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: Re: Re: Applying Sign Bit by demerphq (Chancellor) on Jan 23, 2004 at 19:48 UTC
While I know a bit about this but I personally would be appreciative if you or someone else well versed in this subject did a meditation on it. Especially from the Perl perspective. (Like Abigails trick of a real small negative number turning into -0.) I dont normally upvote anonymonk posts, but I did yours. Thanks. --- demerphq _{First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. -- Gandhi}	[reply] [d/l]

Replies are listed 'Best First'.

Re: Re: Re: Applying Sign Bit
by demerphq (Chancellor) on Jan 23, 2004 at 19:48 UTC

While I know a bit about this but I personally would be appreciative if you or someone else well versed in this subject did a meditation on it. Especially from the Perl perspective. (Like Abigails trick of a real small negative number turning into -0.)

I dont normally upvote anonymonk posts, but I did yours. Thanks.

---
demerphq

_{First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.

-- Gandhi}

[reply]
[d/l]