HP Forum Archive 15

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A little OT: Guidebook Nonsense (TI BA II Plus) Message #1 Posted by Marcus von Cube, Germany on 29 Nov 2005, 4:40 a.m. I found the following information in the guidebook for the TI BA II PLUS Professional: Quote: Universal Power [y^x] Press [y^x] to raise the displayed positive number to any power (for example, 2^-5 or 2^(1/3)). Note: Because the reciprocal of an even number (such as, 1/2, 1/4, 1/6) is a complex number, you can only raise a negative number to an integer power or the reciprocal of an odd number. The note is plain wrong. I found the text first in the German translation and already complained to TI; I was assuming a translation error but the translation is perfectly correct: just the same nonsense. I'm not a native speaker: Is it possible/advisable to place the word "only" in the last sentence after "negative number" instead of before "raise"? In German that would make at least the last sentence correct. To become a little more on topic: Have you seen similar mistakes in HP manuals? Edited: 29 Nov 2005, 4:44 a.m.

Guidebook Nonsense (TI BA II Plus) Message #2 Posted by Karl Schneider on 29 Nov 2005, 6:17 a.m., in response to message #1 by Marcus von Cube, Germany Marcus -- I'd write the note as follows: --------------------------- Note: Because the TI BA II Plus does not support complex-valued numbers, it allows a negative number to be raised only to a power that is an integer or is the reciprocal of an odd integer. ---------------------------- Yes, the word "only" is misplaced in the TI documentation. It's a common mistake among our native speakers. HP manuals from 1978-1985 were outstanding -- highly detailed, well-written, and virtually error-free. Before that period, there wasn't as much to write about (if the HP-35 manual is any indication); after that period, quality started to slide as costs were cut. -- KS

Re: Guidebook Nonsense (TI BA II Plus) Message #3 Posted by Marcus von Cube, Germany on 29 Nov 2005, 8:36 a.m., in response to message #2 by Karl Schneider Karl, Quote: Note: Because the TI BA II Plus does not support complex-valued numbers, it allows a negative number to be raised only to a power that is an integer or is the reciprocal of an odd integer. If TI answers my complaint, I'll reply with your text. Marcus

Re: Guidebook Nonsense (TI BA II Plus) Message #4 Posted by Gunnar Degnbol on 29 Nov 2005, 9:54 a.m., in response to message #3 by Marcus von Cube, Germany Quote: Note: Because the TI BA II Plus does not support complex-valued numbers, it allows a negative number to be raised only to a power that is an integer or is the reciprocal of an odd integer. Does it allow 0.33333333... (whatever the precision is)? Because it can't do that without cheating. Perhaps "the exact reciprocal" would be better.

Re: Guidebook Nonsense (TI BA II Plus) Message #5 Posted by Marcus von Cube, Germany on 29 Nov 2005, 10:41 a.m., in response to message #4 by Gunnar Degnbol Gunnar, Quote: Does it allow 0.33333333... (whatever the precision is)? I can't tell you without the calc (yet). Anybody else? Marcus

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