If I compute, say, 1/3//N
, Mathematica displays
0.333333
as the result. When I copy that output to use elsewhere, the paste produces
0.3333333333333333`
What is the meaning and function of the backtick ?
I realize this must be quite elementary. I stand ready to be educated. :-)
Answer
The backtick is a short-hand to mark the precision of your output. If it is not followed by any number, it denotes machine precision. You can denote arbitrary precision by including a number, as for example, 0.3`20
.
By default, these are not displayed in StandardForm
, which is why you see them only when copying, at which point it gets converted to InputForm
. You can show them with NumberMarks -> True
. For example:
Sqrt[2] // N
(* 1.4142135623730951 *)
InputForm[Sqrt[2] // N, NumberMarks -> True]
(* 1.4142135623730951` *)
Comments
Post a Comment