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Reversh polish calculator behaviour
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Jack Higgs
Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 02, 2007
Posts: 5
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Ok, it's a reverse polish calculator I'm analysing. When I input: 1234 2345 3456 d + d + d = I get an output: 1234 2345 3456 d 1234 2345 3456 + d 1234 5801 + d 7035 = 7035 I'm unsure as to what the behaviour of d is. I need to be able to program what d does to do this question on a past exam paper (I'm revising). Any ideas how to represent what d does? Cheers
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Stan James
(instanceof Sidekick)
Ranch Hand
Joined: Jan 29, 2003
Posts: 8791
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Are you comforatable with how RPN works? Do this sequence with pencil and paper; write out the stack after each operation and see if the meaning of "d" jumps out at you.
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A good question is never answered. It is not a bolt to be tightened into place but a seed to be planted and to bear more seed toward the hope of greening the landscape of the idea. John Ciardi
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Jack Higgs
Greenhorn
Joined: Jan 02, 2007
Posts: 5
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I can see what it's doing (sort of!), I just don't know how to express it mathematically or as an algorithm.
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Joel Jorgensen
Greenhorn
Joined: Oct 13, 2006
Posts: 22
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When I am trying to figure out how to express something algorithmically, I often find it helps for me to write out what I think it does in language that I am most familiar with (sort of like pseudo-code) with gaps to be filled in later for the parts that I'm not sure about. You say that you can sort of see what d is doing--what is it that you can see, and where are the gaps that you can't see yet?
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Go is to the fountain.
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Jim Yingst
Wanderer
Sheriff
Joined: Jan 30, 2000
Posts: 18670
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What happens if you repeat the "d" two or three times in a row? Does this have any effect on subsequent results? Or, what if you omit some (or all) of the "d" commands? I would suggest that what the "d" does is fairly simple, but much of the interesting action here occurs on "+" instead. I'm also a bit mystified about why an RPN calculator would need a "=" at all. But that's mostly a side issue at the moment, I think.
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"I'm not back." - Bill Harding, Twister
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subject: Reversh polish calculator behaviour
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