Re: Long division algorithm

From: Randy Howard (randy.howard_at_FOOmegapathdslBAR.net)
Date: 12/27/03 

Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2003 14:26:31 -0600

In article <EqjHb.177860$ea%.88954@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com>,
tomstdenis@iahu.ca says...
> > > This is not the issue. The issue is whether spending 65$ to learn MP
> > > division is a good idea.
> >
> > But on the other hand, seeking the best information source /is/ a good
> idea.
>
> Well by this argument why not suggest the OP get a full PhD in EECS? That
> would be the best course of action in this case.

If someone had suggested this, I suspect you would have been the only one
to complain. It's not necessary, but it's not evil to do so either.

> The Nepean city library [closest to my house] not only doesn't carry
> journals but doesn't carry CS books [that are actually useful and not
> crap for dummies] from 1970 on.

Well, your city obviously doesn't find such things valuable. You may
find that the rest of the world has varying degrees of interest. I'll
bet you $2.56 that the OP isn't from Nepean, wherever the hell that is.

> Somehow I don't think that is coming up. You guys disagree with me
> questioning Gwyn. Gwyn doesn't care [he probably has me killfiled] so why
> do you guys care? Let it be. I never said he was wrong.

Actually, you said it was stupid to recommend Knuth, despite it being
directly relevant to the question originally asked.

> The benefit of Knuth is a common writing
> style that covers a lot of different topics in a few texts. Knuth still
> doesn't cover quite a bit that you need in the real world [e.g. realtime
> programming, DSP theory, coding theory, etc...]

It would need to be about 35 volumes to approach covering the bulk of
modern CS theory. Then you would really be bitching about the price.

> Again, nothing to disagree with here. I'm just trying to point out that a
> free resource which was written EXACTLY FOR THIS INSTANCE is available.
> Knuth is more theory than practice. My book is more practice than theory.

So they aren't equivalent. Reasoning would seem to indicate that since
they do not overlap (much) that using both would be beneficial, rather
than stupid, especially if you want to understand both theory and
practice. 

-- 
Randy Howard                
2reply remove FOOBAR

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