[Python-Dev] Google Summer of Code proposal: improvement of long int and adding new types/modules. (original) (raw)

Guido van Rossum guido at python.org
Fri Apr 21 11:30:02 CEST 2006

On 4/21/06, Mateusz Rukowicz <mateusz.rukowicz at vp.pl> wrote:

I wish to participate in Google Summer of Code as a python developer. I have few ideas, what would be improved and added to python. Since these changes and add-ons would be codded in C, and added to python-core and/or as modules,I am not sure, if you are willing to agree with these ideas.

First of all, I think, it would be good idea to speed up long int implementation in python. Especially multiplying and converting radix-2^k to radix-10^l. It might be done, using much faster algorithms than already used, and transparently improve efficiency of multiplying and printing/reading big integers.

That would be a good project, if someone is available to mentor it. (Tim Peters?)

Next thing I would add is multi precision floating point type to the core and fraction type, which in some cases highly improves operations, which would have to be done using floating point instead. Of course, math module will need update to support multi precision floating points, and with that, one could compute asin or any other function provided with math with precision limited by memory and time. It would be also good idea to add function which computes pi and exp with unlimited precision.

I would suggest doing this as a separate module first, rather than as a patch to the Python core.

Can you show us some practical applications of these operations?

And last thing - It would be nice to add some number-theory functions to math module (or new one), like prime-tests, factorizations etc.

Probably better a new module. But how many people do you think need these?

Every of above improvements would be coded in pure C, and without using external libraries, so portability of python won't be cracked, and no new dependencies will be added.

Great -- that's important!

I am waiting for your responses about my ideas, which of these you think are good, which poor etc. Main reason I am posting my question here is that, I am not sure, how much are you willing to change the core of the python.

At the end, let my apologize for my poor English, I am trying to do my best.

No problem. We can understand you fine!

-- --Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)

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