Re: Is this math test too easy?

From: Richard Henry (rphenry_at_home.com)
Date: 11/29/04 

Date: Sun, 28 Nov 2004 20:07:08 -0800

"The Ghost In The Machine" <ewill@sirius.athghost7038suus.net> wrote in
message news:v7gq72-3vb.ln1@sirius.athghost7038suus.net...
> In sci.math, Richard Henry
> <rphenry@home.com>
> wrote
> on Sun, 28 Nov 2004 14:35:25 -0800
> <Nosqd.102292$SW3.77720@fed1read01>:
> >
> > "The Ghost In The Machine" <ewill@sirius.athghost7038suus.net> wrote in
> > message news:cbkp72-pha.ln1@sirius.athghost7038suus.net...
> >> In sci.math, Richard Henry
> >> <rphenry@home.com>
> >> wrote
> >> on Sat, 27 Nov 2004 23:10:44 -0800
> >> <WReqd.100055$SW3.78409@fed1read01>:
> >> >
> >> > "Mxsmanic" <mxsmanic@hotmail.com> wrote in message
> >> > news:m3siq0hu2gr5765se5bdug8jihmhtl1vqp@4ax.com...
> >> >> Richard Henry writes:
> >> >>
> >> >> > I will return to work Monday morning, programming computers (among
> > other
> >> >> > things) relieved to know that here are no longer any computer
errors.
> >> >>
> >> >> What is a "computer error"?
> >> >
> >> > Another evasion?
> >>
> >> I should note here that computers do not make errors (at least,
> >> unless there's a problem with such things as bearing wear, external
> >> temperature control, voltage problems [+], etc.) -- *we* do.
> >> More specifically, the following types of problems are available
> >> for the computer to select from -- assuming it even makes sense
> >> to give the computer a choice here, for computers are about as
> >> smart as an insect, if that. Computers merely do what they're told...
>
> [snip for brevity]
>
> >> > 2) the decimal value 30
> >>
> >> This is *not* correct if your spec is correct;
> >
> > Binary-coded decimal (BCD). Some modern microprocessors even have BCD
> > arithmetic instructions.
>
> Another possibility; I should have included that. Of course that
> would most normally be represented as a single 8-bit value:
> 0011 0000.

Which would kind of defeat the purpose of BCD.

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