The Precision Hierarchy

The Precision Hierarchy
computer-science-memes, math-memes, physics-memes, floating-point-memes, precision-memes | ScienceHumor.io

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.

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