[r6rs-discuss] [Formal] Formal Comment: NaN should be, considered a number, not a real

From: Arthur Smyles <atsmyles>
Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 10:38:45 -0400

> If you treat a NaN as a number that is not complex, it will solve the
> > performance issues stated in formal comment 143. It will also address
> > formal comment 230, which will make reals conform to mathematical usage.
> > It will also conform with IEEE-754.

> Reality trumps theory here:

In the case of math, reality IS theory :)

> people who use inexact complex numbers expect to be able to handle
> numbers with real or imaginary parts or
> both that are NaN.

Anytime a complex number is created with a real or imaginary part as a
NaN, it should return NaN. So

nan.0+1i => nan.0
1+nan.0i => nan.0
nan.0+nan.0i => nan.0


Arthur
Received on Thu Jun 21 2007 - 10:38:45 UTC