[Cfp-interest 3049] Re: What words mean 0 < x < INFINITY

[Jerome Coonen]

My goal as a technical writer is to use the most concise expression to get
the point across. Extra verbiage might reduce ambiguity but might leave the
reader wondering if they're missing something.

People say, "x is strictly greater than y," to emphasize > vs. ≥.

"Strictly positive" doesn't ring true to me. Mathematics has a trichotomy
of negative, zero, and positive real values. Zero is never positive or
negative. 754 arithmetic has a sign on zero, but that gives it positive
sign in the representation. It doesn't make make zero positive in the
mathematical sense (as I know we all know).

I hope it's possible to keep with mathematical convention when making
mathematical statements. The C2x draft I'm browsing has lines like:

   - ...finite y > 0   (atan2)
   - .....finite positive-signed x   (catanh)
   - ...positive finite x (csinh)  --- better to change to  ...finite x >
   0  as above

Perhaps this issue can be resolved with a resolution to change to the more
concise symbolic form.

If there is interest in a more thorough search of these cases -- and in the
correct draft edition -- I would offer to take this on.

Cheers.

-Jerome Coonen
 650.996.4738
 jcoonen at gmail.com


On Thu, Mar 14, 2024 at 11:15 PM Damian McGuckin <damianm at esi.com.au> wrote:

> On Thu, 14 Mar 2024, Fred J. Tydeman wrote:
>
> > On Fri, 15 Mar 2024 16:01:09 +1100 (AEDT) Damian McGuckin wrote:
> >>
> >>       positive non-zero finite x
> >
> > Is my choice.
>
> Thanks. It is my choice and is also the most common usage in Annex G.
>
> > +0 could be considered strictly positive finite
>
> The term used in Annex G is that a number with a negative bit of '0' is
>
>         positive-signed finite
>
> Annex G does not use the term 'strictly positive'. Maybe it is a bit too
> contentious. My long held definition of 'strictly positive' is that it
> cannot be zero. I would say that +0 is definitely not strictly positive.
>
> Thanks - Damian
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