Re: multiplicative inverse of 0.0
Bakul Shah 22 Oct 2005 21:52 UTC
> | (/ 0.0) ==> +nan.0
> | (/ 1.0 0) ==> +inf.0
> | (/ -1 0.0) ==> -inf.0
> | (/ +inf.0) ==> 0.0
>
> If 0.0 is the multiplicative inverse of +inf.0, then +inf.0 must be
> multiplicative inverse of 0.0. But (/ 0.0) ==> +nan.0. Which line is
> correct?
By definition, if A' is a multiplicate inverse of A,
A * A' = 1
This is not the case for +inf.0 or 0.0.
So we have two choices:
1)
(/ 0.0) => NaN
(/ +inf.0) => NaN
(/ -inf.0) => NaN
2) To indicate that for any number X
(/ X) == (/ 1.0 X)
and drop the phrases "multiplicative inverse".