But is there really a significant difference between 32.118795 and 32.11789500000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000004?
Yes, there is a significant difference between the two. Practically, the additional accuracy may or may not be important, it is entirely dependent on the application. Which is why this “6 decimals are standard” thing is so absurd; it completely depends on the application. You may just want to leave this one to the engineers Jen. :roll:
Engineers are not mathematicians. Neither are scientists. On a macro scale there may be a very significant difference, there may not be. That’s why science developed the policy of significant figures. (ie, if you start with two decimal places, you end with two decimal places rounded up or down as needed.)
Math is different. Pure math has the consensus, the general rule, that answers are significantly accurate at six decimal places. This stems from Newton’s assertations when he was developing his theories and laws. Thus, the square root of 3 is accurately described as 1.732051 with the last 808 rounded up.
Now, if your specific engineering instance demands a higher degree of certainty, that does not mean that the mathematical accuracy is wrong, it means you, personally, need more accuracy. No one is stipulating that 1.732050808 is less accurate or of the same accuracy. Mathematicians just stipulate that, for the purposes of pure math, 1.732051 is accurate enough, or 6 decimal places are the limit of significance we need to continue on to the next step of the problem.
Trust me, just leave the mathematical theory to the mathemeticians and stick to doing your own job. Build something with the formulas, laws and theorems we give you.
Back on topic (and mathematical nuances of significant digits are NOT the subject of this thread)
I was beginning to get worried this was going to turn into Math 432. And I thought Matrices were tough in Math 210, sheesh. I frankly don’t break out a calculator when I play this game. It’s called my brain, and if I have more guys than him and am attacking at roughly the same or more than him on attack numbers, then I’m in business. And since I’ve only played this game for a year and a bit, I’m sure there’s tons of strats for me to think of and break out and attempt and put into action. What’s a little losing when you have fun and learn at the same time.
GEN Fox,
So scenarios like “you have a TRN leaving the DC Navel yard at two spaces per turn heading for Berlin. Germany has a TRN leaving Berlin at the rate of two spaces per turn heading for the DC Navel yard. The US TRN left one turn earlier then Germany’s. How long will it take till they both collide?” just don’t interest you? (he he :lol:)
-LT04
GEN Fox,
So scenarios like “you have a TRN leaving the DC Navel yard at two spaces per turn heading for Berlin. Germany has a TRN leaving Berlin at the rate of two spaces per turn heading for the DC Navel yard. The US TRN left one turn earlier then Germany’s. How long will it take till they both collide?” just don’t interest you? (he he :lol:)
-LT04
Fascinating.
Spockbrow!
@ncscswitch:
Back on topic (and mathematical nuances of significant digits are NOT the subject of this thread)
Awe, and I was about to break into some high level, esoteric sh*t too. :P
How about this, I’ll give you even odds your transport shoots down two of my transports and damages my battleship, surviving the engagement and forcing my battleship to withdraw to lick her wounds. :P
Jenn, I’ll take those odds. I’ve seen 4 transports all get blown up by a lone bomber, and I’ve seen 3 transports blow up 2 bombers wihtout dying. I may not have seen everything, but I’ve seen alot! 8-)
And PaintBrush, how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood? Yeah, if given time I’d probably figure out that problem. But for the rest of those numbers everyone’s breaking out…WHOOSH, over my head!
Yea, that happened to me against Djensen.
Q: how much wood can a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
Well from an engineers perspective (Note: Jen made point that engineers and mathematicians are in no way related.) I would answer that using the same approach I would answer is the glass half full or half empty?
To a mathematician this is a riddle that needs to be solved in order for life as we know it to continue. For an engineer standpoint I would say the glass is 50% bigger then it needed to be. So…
A: It can’t so it doesn’t matter. As an engineer I only need to find out the bare minimum to make things work then add 10% b/c people are going to go outside of that margin.
-LT04
Is the glass half full or half empty?
A: Mathematician - Depends on if you are filling the glass or emptying the glass.
Is the glass half full or half empty?
Engineer: The glass is all the way empty.  :wink:
Guess the driver of that locomotive was thirsty!
