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Precision in measures

The precision of the result of an operation depends from the precision with which we know the data.

Example: Suppose we know the dimension of a rectangle with a precision of only one decimal digit after the point. Then, the area of the rectangle cannot have a higher precision, and hence it makes no sense to consider the second decimal digit as significant:

      9.2 * 5.3 = 48.76  (the second decimal digit is not significant)

      9.25 * 5.35 = 49.48  (here it is)

This is not caused by the representation of numbers in a programming language, but by the limitations on our knowledge about the input values of a problem.


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