Message 64913 - Python tracker

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Author	terry.reedy
Recipients	ajaksu2, alanmcintyre, avalind, dtorp, ilan, jafo, mark.dickinson, phr, rhettinger, terry.reedy
Date	2008-04-04.04:59:53
SpamBayes Score	0.15059583
Marked as misclassified	No
Message-id	<1207285199.4.0.216597383385.issue2138@psf.upfronthosting.co.za>
In-reply-to

Content
The fact that other languages have factorial does not in itself impress me. What is the actual use case other than illustrating computational induction (whether by iteration or recursion) and for calculating binomial coefficients? I don't really like the idea of making factorial a method for the same reason that exp, sin, ....... are not methods of float: there is no end. People should be able to learn basic classes without specialized functions attached.

The fact that other languages have factorial does not in itself impress
me.  What is the actual use case other than illustrating computational
induction (whether by iteration or recursion) and for calculating
binomial coefficients?

I don't really like the idea of making factorial a method for the same
reason that exp, sin, ....... are not methods of float: there is no end.
 People should be able to learn basic classes without specialized
functions attached.

History
Date	User	Action	Args
2008-04-04 04:59:59	terry.reedy	set	spambayes_score: 0.150596 -> 0.15059583 recipients: + terry.reedy, rhettinger, jafo, phr, mark.dickinson, dtorp, alanmcintyre, ajaksu2, avalind, ilan
2008-04-04 04:59:59	terry.reedy	set	spambayes_score: 0.150596 -> 0.150596 messageid: <1207285199.4.0.216597383385.issue2138@psf.upfronthosting.co.za>
2008-04-04 04:59:57	terry.reedy	link	issue2138 messages
2008-04-04 04:59:54	terry.reedy	create