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Re: min / max and empty intervals (was: Friendly amendment to Motion 25)



> Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 12:18:19 +0200
> From: Vincent Lefevre <vincent@xxxxxxxxxx>
> To: "stds-1788@xxxxxxxx" <stds-1788@xxxxxxxx>
> Subject: Re: min / max and empty intervals (was: Friendly amendment to Motion 25)
> 
> On 2011-06-06 21:06:32 +0100, John Pryce wrote:
> > . . .
> > 
> 
> . . .
> 
> Moreover if I is a subset of J, then f(I) should be a subset of f(J),
> even in the case where I is empty. This would no longer be true with
> (2). For instance, min(sqrt(X),[3,4]) with:
>   * X = [-2,-1]  -> result = [3,4]
>   * X = [-2,0]   -> result = [0,0]
> 
> -- 
> Vincent Lefèvre <vincent@xxxxxxxxxx> - Web: <http://www.vinc17.net/>
> 100% accessible validated (X)HTML - Blog: <http://www.vinc17.net/blog/>
> Work: CR INRIA - computer arithmetic / Arénaire project (LIP, ENS-Lyon)

	OOoo, Vincent.  I find your example both illuminating
	& disturbing.

	If we have a min that returns the non-empty interval
	in the case where the other is empty then, as you say:

	xx = [-2,-1] \subset yy = [-2,0] but for
	f(tt) = min(sqrt(tt),[3,4]) we have that
	f(xx) = [3,4] NOT \subset of f(yy) = [0,0].

	But if we use a min that returns the empty we have:

	f(xx) = empty \subset of f(yy) = [0,0].

	Is this a fluke of this example or the nose in the tent
	of a more general principle?

	Actually, it is sufficient to simplify your example to
	f(tt) = min(tt,[3,4]).  Then the interval returning min
	has:

		f(empty) = [3,4] NOT \subset f([0,1]) = [0,1]

	and with the empty returning min we have

		f(empty) = empty \subset f([0,1]) = [0,1].

	This suggests the more general principle to me.

	If this is convincing to all of you I entirely withdraw
	my argument for the other approach.

	Wow, I didn't see that one coming.


				Dan