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Comparing float to Fraction in python [CLOSED]

+1 vote
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Comparing floats to Fractions gives unexpected results:

# Python 3.3
py> from fractions import Fraction
py> 1/3 == Fraction(1, 3)
False

but:

py> 1/3 == float(Fraction(1, 3))
True

I expected that float-to-Fraction comparisons would convert the Fraction to a float, but apparently they do the opposite: they convert the float to a Fraction:

py> Fraction(1/3)
Fraction(6004799503160661, 18014398509481984)

Am I the only one who is surprised by this? Is there a general rule for which way numeric coercions should go when doing such comparisons?

closed with the note: None
posted Jul 29, 2013 by Deepankar Dubey

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1 Answer

+1 vote
 
Best answer

Any float can be precisely represented as a Fraction. Not so in the other direction. So from that standpoint it makes sense to me to cast to Fraction when comparing.

answer Jul 29, 2013 by Sonu Jindal
Similar Questions
+3 votes

See the following code

void main(){
   float a=5.2;
  if(a==5.2)
     printf("Equal");
  else if(a<5.2)
     printf("Less than");
  else
     printf("Greater than"); 
}

Expected output is equal but we does not get same why?

+5 votes

Using 1/3 as an example,

 >>> 1./3
0.3333333333333333
 >>> print "%.50f" % (1./3)
0.33333333333333331482961625624739099293947219848633
 >>> print "%.50f" % (10./3)
3.33333333333333348136306995002087205648422241210938
 >>> print "%.50f" % (100./3)
33.33333333333333570180911920033395290374755859375000

which seems to mean real (at least default) decimal precision is limited to "double", 16 digit precision (with rounding error). Is there a way to increase the real precision, preferably as the default?
For instance, UBasic uses a "Words for fractionals", f, "Point(f)" system, where Point(f) sets the decimal display precision, .1^int(ln(65536^73)/ln(10)), with the last few digits usually garbage.
Using "90*(pi/180)*180/pi" as an example to highlight the rounding error (4 = UBasic's f default value):

 Point(2)=.1^09: 89.999999306
 Point(3)=.1^14: 89.9999999999944
 Point(4)=.1^19: 89.9999999999999998772
 Point(5)=.1^24: 89.999999999999999999999217
 Point(7)=.1^33: 89.999999999999999999999999999999823
 Point(10)=.1^48: 89.999999999999999999999999999999999999999999997686
 Point(11)=.1^52: 89.9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999632

If not in the core program, is there a higher decimal precision module that can be added?

0 votes

Trivial question, please help.

I need to convert a string literal like "111.25" to floating point number.
atof() fails me as it returns 1111 and discards .25?

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