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- Path: sparky!uunet!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!darwin.sura.net!paladin.american.edu!auvm!PSUVM.BITNET!DMR
- Message-ID: <STAT-L%93010611011248@VM1.MCGILL.CA>
- Newsgroups: bit.listserv.stat-l
- Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 10:59:00 EST
- Sender: STATISTICAL CONSULTING <STAT-L@MCGILL1.BITNET>
- Comments: 208 Cedar Bldg.
- Comments: University Park, PA USA
- Comments: AC 814-863-2401
- From: Dennis Roberts <DMR@PSUVM.BITNET>
- Subject: Precision
- Lines: 13
-
- The discussion about accuracy of spreadsheets, formulas, and calculating
- devices suggests that instructors should at least mention to students that:
- a) all formulas are not necesarily created equal (some shortcut formulas
- have been mentioned for example), and b) calculating devices (computer
- programs and calculators for example) do not necessarily have the capacity
- to deal with every number combination in problems; large factorials were
- mentioned as a problem. I input numbers like 10, 9, 8 etc, into Minitab and
- it works fine BUT, when I put numbers like 1000000010, 1000000009, etc., it
- fails to read the last places. So, while classroom examples may not deal
- with these indiosyncracies, an example or two should be included to make
- sure that students don't ASSUME that everything is hunkeedorie 100 percent
- of the time. It seems to me that this is the important point from this
- discussion.
-