this post was submitted on 17 Sep 2023
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Most languages have decimal libraries to correctly handle floating point arithmetics, where precision is necessary.
They are as incapable of handling one third of a dollar as binary positional notation is incapable of handling one fifth (0.2).
It’s not really a float problem. It’s a positional notation one. Some perfectly rational numbers refuse to squeeze into that mold.
Also decimal system is not exatcly that much better since you also cant write 1/3 in decimal