On 25/06/2013 23:57, Chris Angelico wrote:
On Wed, Jun 26, 2013 at 8:38 AM, Mark Janssen <dreamingforw...@gmail.com> wrote:
Combining integers with sets I can make
a Rational class and have infinite-precision arithmetic, for example.
Combining two integers lets you make a Rational. Python integers are
already infinite-precision. Or are you actually talking of using
"machine words" and sets as your fundamental? Also, you need an
ordered set - is the set {5,3} greater or less than the set {2} when
you interpret them as rationals? One must assume, I suppose, that any
one-element set represents the integer 1, because any number divided
by itself is 1. Is the first operand 3/5 or 5/3?
You could use Kuratowski ordered pairs:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ordered_pair#Kuratowski_definition
Not that doing so would be sensible, of course. I don't know much about
low-level data structures but it seems obvious that it's much easier to
implement an ordered container type than an unordered set on a computer.
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