A Problem with Mathematica's Precision

[natski]

Hi all,

Perhaps it is just me that is bugged by this, but I can never get the N function to work in Mathematica.

For example, try doing:

N[6.50889261991, 2]

and you get:

6.50889

Which clearly isn't to 2 significant figures or decimal places...

Does anyone know if there is something I am doing wrong with N?

Natski

 

[Dale]

Hi all,

Perhaps it is just me that is bugged by this, but I can never get the N function to work in Mathematica.

For example, try doing:

N[6.50889261991, 2]

and you get:

6.50889

Which clearly isn't to 2 significant figures or decimal places...

Does anyone know if there is something I am doing wrong with N?

Natski

You can use 6.50889261991`2 to get it to 2 significant figures. Or alternatively you can use 6.5`2

I don't know why N doesn't degrade the precision of the input, but I get the same result.

 

[oswaler]

Hi Natski,

Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. It seems that there may be a problem with Mathematica's precision when using the N function. Have you tried adjusting the precision settings in the N function? It is possible that the default setting may not be suitable for your needs.

You can also try using the Round function to achieve the desired level of precision. For example, Round[6.50889261991, 0.01] will give you a result of 6.51 to 2 decimal places.

If the issue persists, it may be worth reaching out to the Mathematica support team for further assistance. They may be able to provide more insight and help resolve the issue. Thank you for bringing this to our attention and I hope this helps.