• Kogasa@programming.dev
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    8 months ago

    a/b is the unique solution x to a = bx, if a solution exists. This definition is used for integers, rationals, real and complex numbers.

    Defining a/b as a * (1/b) makes sense if you’re learning arithmetic, but logically it’s more contrived as you then need to define 1/b as the unique solution x to bx = 1, if one exists, which is essentially the first definition.

    • Artyom@lemm.ee
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      8 months ago

      That’s me, a degree-holding full time computer scientist, just learning arithmetic I guess.

      Bonus question: what even is subtraction? I’m 99% sure it doesn’t exist since I’ve never used it, I only ever use addition.

    • hydroptic@sopuli.xyz
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      8 months ago

      Defining a/b as a * (1/b) makes sense if you’re learning arithmetic

      The example was just to illustrate the idea not to define division exactly like that