Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!usc!apple!sun-barr!newstop!sun!imagen!atari!portal!portal!cup.portal.com!Jake-S
From: Jake-S@cup.portal.com (Jake G Schwartz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.handhelds
Subject: Re: hp48sx fractions ?
Message-ID: <27801@cup.portal.com>
Date: 11 Mar 90 18:53:08 GMT
References: <2461@unocss..unl.edu>
Organization: The Portal System (TM)
Lines: 19

With regard to fractions, the HP48 has two keys which convert decimals to
fractions: ->Q and ->Qpi (pi = the pi symbol). The -> Q key does a direct
conversion to an algebraic consisting of the reduced fraction that is a best
guesds approximation of the real decimal number. 
   The ->Qpi version does more than that. To quote the manual:
"->Qpi is similar to ->Q except that it factors out pi.  ->Qpi computes both
the fractional equivalent of the original number and the fractional equiv-
alent of the original number divided by pi, and then compares the denomina-
tors.  If the denominator of the fractional equivalent of the original number
is smaller, that fractional equivalent is returned to the stack; this is the
same result as if you had executed ->Q. If the denominator of the fractional
equivalent of the original number divided by pi is smaller, that fractional
equivalent, multiplied by pi, is returned to the stack."

With this, one can write fractional arithmetic routines and the like, con-
verting fractions on the stack which are algebraics by the ->NUM key, doing
the math, and then converting back to fractions with the ->Q key.

Jake Schwartz