Arbitrary Precision Arithmetic

Famous quotes containing the words arbitrary, precision and/or arithmetic:

    Languages exist by arbitrary institutions and conventions among peoples; words, as the dialecticians tell us, do not signify naturally, but at our pleasure.
    François Rabelais (1494–1553)

    One can prove or refute anything at all with words. Soon people will perfect language technology to such an extent that they’ll be proving with mathematical precision that twice two is seven.
    Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)

    O! O! another stroke! that makes the third.
    He stabs me to the heart against my wish.
    If that be so, thy state of health is poor;
    But thine arithmetic is quite correct.
    —A.E. (Alfred Edward)