04/06/2008, 06:04 PM
I'm calculating a pretty big number, but I'm not getting very far due to limitations in the platform -- I get "infinity" when I try to calculate 3^^4 and the number is much, much, much bigger than that (in the thousands). Is there an easier way to calculate tetration?
If it would make it any easier, I only care about the last 8 digits. I thought about using decimal places, but that doesn't help -- either the number is still too big or it's too small and I lose the digits I care about... actually, it gets so small, I end up with 0.
I also thought about trimming the number down to 8 digits after each exponentiation, but the first one is still too big to even get that. Of course, I completely realize this non-scientific method of calculating the result may give me the wrong answer, but I'm looking for some answer.
There has to be an easier way!
If it would make it any easier, I only care about the last 8 digits. I thought about using decimal places, but that doesn't help -- either the number is still too big or it's too small and I lose the digits I care about... actually, it gets so small, I end up with 0.
I also thought about trimming the number down to 8 digits after each exponentiation, but the first one is still too big to even get that. Of course, I completely realize this non-scientific method of calculating the result may give me the wrong answer, but I'm looking for some answer.
There has to be an easier way!