Representing repeating decimals in text
Tim Murray
use instead to show repeating decimals? For example, show four-point-nine
repeating as 4.9~?
Arturo Magidin
There is, as far as I know, no standard ASCII way to do it; usually,
ellipsis are used, often with a written qualification explaining the
meaning (e.g., writing "4.99..., with a repeating 9 decimal").
While what you suggest is not unreasonable, chances are you'll have to
state what it is you mean by it if you want it to be understood. That
means saying it the first time you use it in any given thread.
--
Arturo Magidin
David W. Cantrell
> On Dec 15, 10:40=A0am, Tim Murray <no-s...@thankyou.com> wrote:
> > Since I can't do a bar over a number in plain text, is there a symbol I
> > can use instead to show repeating decimals? For example, show
> > four-point-nine repeating as 4.9~?
A bar (vinculum) can be extended to cover a _group_ of digits. Thus, if you
wish to be able to deal with repeating decimals having more than one digit
in the repeating group, then you need a grouping symbol of some sort. For
example, as a representation of 5/7, you might consider
0.(714285) or 0.[714285] or 0.<714285> or something similar.
But of course you'd need to mention what you notation means, lest someone
think you're multiplying 0. with 714285
David
Tim Murray
> But of course you'd need to mention what you notation means, lest someone
> think you're multiplying 0. with 714285
Or, as in 3.4[7], 'see footnote number 7'. Thanks.
Tim Murray
> writing "4.99..., with a repeating 9 decimal
I have no idea why I completely spaced off the ellipses. I had thought of it
only in a series (1, 2, 3, ...)
Jasen Betts
most people consider it to be indistinguishable from 5.
A quick search of the unicode symbol set did not find symbols
dedicated to indicatinbg representing recurring parts.
if absolute accuracy is
needed I would express the value as a (compound) fraction
OTOH I have seen something like ` used to indicate that start of the
recurring part so 7/6 is 1.1`6
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Virgil
Jasen Betts <ja...@xnet.co.nz> wrote:
> On 2009-12-15, Tim Murray <no-...@thankyou.com> wrote:
> > Since I can't do a bar over a number in plain text, is there a symbol I can
> > use instead to show repeating decimals? For example, show four-point-nine
> > repeating as 4.9~?
>
> most people consider it to be indistinguishable from 5.
>
> A quick search of the unicode symbol set did not find symbols
> dedicated to indicatinbg representing recurring parts.
> if absolute accuracy is
> needed I would express the value as a (compound) fraction
>
> OTOH I have seen something like ` used to indicate that start of the
> recurring part so 7/6 is 1.1`6
I have occasionally seen, and even used myself, the inclusion of the
repetend in parentheses, as in 7/6 = 1.1(6).
As far as I know, there is no standard method, so that whatever method
you choose to use should be carefully explained first.