Exponential Loop Python Script

[yuvlevental]

a = 1
while 1 == 1:
a = a * 2
print a

Pretty Sweet
Its infinite

[Nekiruhs]

This isn't exponential though. In order for it to be exponential you'd have to do
a = a ** 2 Instead of
a = a * 2

[xtacocorex]

That's an infinite loop.

[yuvlevental]

exponential as in exponential growth

[Nekiruhs]

exponential as in exponential growth
But its not exponential. Theres no exponenets going on. 6 times 2 is not exponential. 6 squared is exponential.

[yuvlevental]

Wikipedia's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_growth) definition agrees with the script.

[hod139]

At each iteration of the loop, a doubles. The variable a has an exponential growth. However, the loop is infinite, it will never terminate.

[RussianVodka]

Wikipedia's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_growth) definition agrees with the script.

According to wikipedia, for your loop to have exponential growth it would have to do this:



a = #number
b = #number

while true:
a = b ** a
print a

[Mathiasdm]

Ugh, exponential is too slow! Try this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ackermann_function#Implementations):

(Source: wikipedia)


def ackermann(m, n):
if m == 0:
return n+1
elif m > 0 and n == 0:
return ackermann(m-1, 1)
elif m > 0 and n > 0:
return ackermann(m-1, ackermann(m, n-1))

Give 'ackermann(4,1)' a try ;-)

[slimdog360]

just do the infinite taylor series

[popch]

a = 1
while 1 == 1:
a = a * 2
print a

Pretty Sweet
Its infinite

It's not infinite, unless (a) Python has infinite precision (or rather infinite magnitude) arithmetic and (b) you have an infinite amount of RAM. If not, the program will simply crash after a while.

A bit closer to infinity will be:

a = 1
while a == a:
print a

This will keep on running as long as you can keep the pc alive. That could be a very long time if you are using a VM.

[popch]

But its not exponential. Theres no exponenets going on. 6 times 2 is not exponential. 6 squared is exponential.

After doing the loop n times, the value of a will be 1 * (2 ** n), thats '2 to the n-th power. That's exponential.

[proalan]

err most programmers try to avoid infinite loops, especially exponential ones.

But since the original script wasn't exponential, and we don't know what exponential the op intended it could mean anything
2 to the power of n
n to the power of n
n to the power of 2
...