A Calculator (4): The Framework

For as long as I remember, I had played with LEGOs. Those simple blocks would transform into complex objects whose final shapes only existed in the supple thoughts of creative imagination. The kind of LEGO blocks we had while growing up were simple: 2×4, 2×2, 1×8. Anything unusual was rare and precious.

Continue reading

A Calculator (3): Practical Numerical Methods

In the last post, we verified and quantified the precision of the basic four functions (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division), and now we can use them as a stepping stone for more complex functions. We can assume they will be available to us so our experimentation at this stage could simply use built-in C++ functions.

In this article, which is the third in a series, we will continue with the proof-of-concept, or pathfinding, research.

Continue reading

A Calculator

The idea for this project came about during a week of freezing winter arctic event here in Austin, Texas, with a failed power grid as well as government, while keeping close to a gas fireplace, the only source of heat and light, for a couple of days. With a weak internet over a phone data line, I could only do some preliminary searches and mainly work out various details on a writing pad, growing a feeling that the project may be personally exciting and practically doable.

I will try to post my progress over the coming weeks.

Continue reading