Unsigned types in C

Discussion in 'Mac Programming' started by mac2x, Mar 10, 2011.

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  1. mac2x, Mar 10, 2011

    mac2x macrumors 65816

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    Sep 19, 2009
    #1
    I have a bug in a program (no it is not an assignment; I am working on my own this term) that uses unsigned ints.

    Without going into the gory details (it's a large program), I need to take the factorial of an expression n - r. Of course, I want to test to be sure that I don't feed my factorial function a negative.

    Code:
    if ( n - r > 0 )
{...}
    Both n and r are of type unsigned long int.

    According the Harbison and Steele (5th edition):


    In my program, the problem happens when n is less than r, say 3 an 5 respectively. This means that the difference n - r is negative, and by the above is converted to an unsigned integer, which results in my factorial function being sent an enormous number which invariably crashes the program. Am I thinking correctly here?

    I do not wish to be given the solution to this bug; I merely want to know if I am on the right track in finding it.


    Xcode project is attached.

    Thanks!
     

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  2. kpua, Mar 10, 2011

    kpua macrumors 6502

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    #2
    I suspect you're on the right track here. If n is greater than r, then n-r will wrap around to very large integer values.

    I won't give you the solution straight out, but can you think of a mathematical equivalent to the relation (n - r > 0) that doesn't subtraction and is therefore immune from the integer underflow error?
     
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  3. mac2x, Mar 10, 2011

    mac2x thread starter macrumors 65816

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    #3
    Indeed I can!

    Code:
    if (n > r)
{...}
    The test fails if n = 3 and r = 5, and the function is not called. This is exactly what I wanted. Thanks again!
     
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  4. kuwisdelu, Mar 10, 2011

    kuwisdelu macrumors 65816

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    #4
    It may not be important for your program, but don't forget mathematically, 0! = 1, too.
     
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  5. Sydde, Mar 10, 2011

    Sydde macrumors 68020

    Sydde

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    #5
    Which raises an odd question (the kind only I would come up with). In Standard Apple Numerics Environment ("SANE", in Classic Mac OS) they note that a number has 3 important components: the mantissa (numeric value), the characteristic (exponent) and the sign. Because of this, you could have a number equal to negative zero. What I am unsure of is whether ( 0 == -0 ) could be counted on to return true or false.
     
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  6. lee1210, Mar 10, 2011

    lee1210 macrumors 68040

    lee1210

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    #6
    This sounds like IEEE-754 floating point, or similar. This is for floating point estimation in binary. Integers can be represented exactly in binary. In IEEE-754 zero and negative zero are not equal bit patterns (so a memcmp would call them different), but == should say they're the same.

    -Lee
     
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