mpn_tdiv_q

[Torbjörn Granlund]

Fredrik Johansson <fredrik.johansson at gmail.com> writes:

  I suggest adding a public mpn function
  
  mpn_tdiv_q(mp_ptr, mp_srcptr, mp_size_t, mp_srcptr, mp_size_t)
  
  that computes a correctly rounded truncated quotient, disallowing aliasing.
  
Isn't "correctly rounded truncated quotient" an oxymoron?

  This could simply be implemented using TMP_ALLOC_LIMBS + mpn_div_q
  (possibly with a special case for mpn_divrem_1).
  
For good reasons, we're making allocation visible to users, so this
suggested function would be a step back.

  An mpn_tdiv_q function would provide a stable and obvious division
  interface without either of those drawbacks. It could be added
  independently of other potential changes such as changing the amount
  of temp space required by mpn_div_q (or removing this parameter
  entirely, effectively making mpn_div_q/mpn_tdiv_q aliases for the same
  thing).
  
Well, if you assume function A has a stable interface and function B has
not, then of course A is preferrable.  :-)

But the GMP hackers carefully maintain compatibility within a documented
set of functions.

I'm afraid I vote against your proposal since I think GMP's current
direction wrt mpn division is better.  (We should however declare a
handful more function as public, though.)


Torbjörn
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