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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!astrovax!fisher!tim
From: tim@fisher.UUCP (Tim Snyder)
Newsgroups: net.math
Subject: Re: How Computers handle Floating Point is not Mathematics
Message-ID: <1361@fisher.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Jan-86 13:17:03 EST
Article-I.D.: fisher.1361
Posted: Mon Jan 20 13:17:03 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Jan-86 07:37:11 EST
References: <427@faron.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Princeton University.Mathematics
Lines: 40

> etc. etc. ad nauseum.
> 
> While algorithms for doing floating point arithmetic may be of interest
> to mathematicians this above stuff has very little to do with mathematics.
> It involves computer issues only. Please keep this sort of thing out of
> net.math. By the way... are you sure you cross posted it to enough groups???
>  
> Bob Silverman


Dear Bob Silverman,

	There are many of us who believe that questions and discussions
about computers are mathematical.  Furthermore, one can even consider
discussions of numbers or other "mathematical" objects of any nature 
to be mathematical.

	Perhaps we need a "net.math.research" or "net.math.serious"
or "net.math.advanced" for people like yourself who accept and only want 
to hear questions relating to "PURELY" mathematical things. 

	As is true of this posting, your policing of net.math can be
more extraneous than any talk of computers, etc., and has become extremely
annoying to me (comments from others?).

	Please, in the future, let those who post decide what 
mathematics is.  Surely you are aware that the mathematical world is 
a massive one, with a myriad of definitions for what composes it.

	Let me emphasize that I do not seek a "net.war" here, for I
clearly understand the frustration you experience when finding
the postings about which you complain.  This is a common experience
when dealing with any public forum.  I ask that you realize that many
of us read and enjoy these particular net.math postings.  

	I enjoy your postings, too!


					    Respectfully,
    					      Tim Snyder