Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcsun!ukc!pyrltd!root44!gwc
From: gwc@root.co.uk (Geoff Clare)
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c
Subject: Re: Leap Year Checker.
Message-ID: <2457@root44.co.uk>
Date: 4 Oct 90 11:57:37 GMT
References: <24700010@sunc1> <1115.26ff47b6@iccgcc.decnet.ab.com> <242@srchtec.UUCP> <654522456@grad11.cs.duke.edu> <2188@ukc>
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In <2188@ukc> tlg@ukc.ac.uk (T.L.Goodwin) writes:

>Aha, but the Russian system (where the year is a leap year iff the
>remainder on division by 7 is 2 or 6) is actually more accurate* than
>the Gregorian system, as well as not having the confusion at the end of
>a century.

>*i.e. better compensates for the fact that 1 year != 365 days

Wrong.

There are approx. 365.242191 mean solar days in the tropical year.

The Gregorian system gives 365 + 1/4 - 1/100 + 1/400 = 365.2425 days. 
The Russian system (as described by Tim, I don't know if he's right)
gives 365 + 2/7 ~= 365.285714 days.  Even the Julian system (365.25 days)
was more accurate than that!
-- 
Geoff Clare <gwc@root.co.uk>  (Dumb American mailers: ...!uunet!root.co.uk!gwc)
UniSoft Limited, Hayne Street, London EC1A 9HH, England.   Tel: +44-71-315-6600