Modulo
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- Subject: Modulo
- From: "Patrick Donnelly" <batrick.donnelly@...>
- Date: Wed, 3 Oct 2007 17:23:49 -0600
I'm curious why during Lua's development it was decided that the
modulus operator be implemented
in Lua:
-7 % 5 = 3
where in C:
-7 % 5 = -2
All mathematicians I've spoken to agree that the modulus is defined by division:
a = b * q + r
such that q is an integer and r is a natural number.
Naturally -2 is part of the congruence class 3 bar (mod 5) (can't make
the symbol in plain text).
I would say Lua has done it "correctly", but I'm afraid some
mathematicians would disagree and say:
0 <= abs(r) < abs(b)
So, was there a reason why? Personally I'm pretty happy it was defined
the way it was.
--
-Patrick Donnelly
"One of the lessons of history is that nothing is often a good thing
to do and always a clever thing to say."
-Will Durant