Floating point Memes

Posts tagged with Floating point

The Precision Hierarchy

The Precision Hierarchy
The disciplinary hierarchy of numerical precision is something to behold. Math keeps it simple with exact integers. Physics introduces measurement uncertainty, giving us that tantalizing "almost 4" that haunts experimental physicists. But computer science? That's where floating-point errors reveal themselves in all their glory. That extra 0.0000000000000001 isn't a bug—it's a feature showing we're actually calculating something. Nothing says "I understand binary representation limitations" like pretending your rounding errors are intentional.

Proof By Generative AI Garbage

Proof By Generative AI Garbage
The mathematical comedy show starring ChatGPT! First, it confidently declares 9.11 > 9.9 (correct). Then when asked to subtract them, it gives 0.21 (also correct). But when prompted to "use python" suddenly 9.11 - 9.9 = -0.79?! This is the AI equivalent of a student who can solve a problem on paper but completely falls apart during the practical exam. What we're witnessing is floating-point arithmetic having an existential crisis. In computers, decimal numbers are approximated, leading to these bizarre precision errors that would make any math teacher reach for the red pen... and possibly a stiff drink.

Proof By Generative AI Garbage

Proof By Generative AI Garbage
The perfect demonstration of why you shouldn't trust AI for basic math! ChatGPT confidently declares 9.11 > 9.9 (correct), calculates 9.11 - 9.9 = 0.21 (wrong), then when asked to use Python, claims the result is -0.79 due to "floating-point precision errors" (complete nonsense). The actual answer is 0.21, which it originally gave incorrectly but then claimed was correct! It's like watching a student make up increasingly elaborate excuses for getting 2+2=5. This is why mathematicians drink.

Darn You Floating Point Arithmetic!

Darn You Floating Point Arithmetic!
Welcome to the digital hellscape where 0.7 × 0.7 = 0.49 in theory but 0.48999999999994 in practice. This is the programmer's nightmare that makes mathematicians weep. Computers store decimal numbers in binary, and some decimals just can't be represented exactly—like trying to write 1/3 as a decimal without going on forever. The computer is technically correct (the worst kind of correct) because it's showing you all those hidden digits that round-off arithmetic hides. Next time your bank account is off by a penny, remember it's not a glitch—it's just floating point arithmetic having an existential crisis.