find out the problem

[sabarish]

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

[Eric Sosman]

sabarish wrote:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

This cannot be done, not even by using non-portable
trickery. The reason is simple: there is no such thing
as the "biggest" of just two numbers. The superlative
form of an adjective implies three or more alternatives.

Had you written "bigger" the answer might have been
different -- but that would have made the question sound
like homework, and we can't have that, can we?

--
Er*********@sun .com

[Richard Bos]

Eric Sosman <er*********@su n.com> wrote:

sabarish wrote:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

This cannot be done, not even by using non-portable
trickery. The reason is simple: there is no such thing
as the "biggest" of just two numbers. The superlative
form of an adjective implies three or more alternatives.

No, they don't. Check the OED. What you describe is merely customary in
some circles, but not the only correct usage.

Richard

[Kenneth Brody]

sabarish wrote:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

So, how many open NNTP proxies do you have access to?

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+-------------------------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
| Kenneth J. Brody | www.hvcomputer.com | |
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+-------------------------+--------------------+-----------------------------+
Don't e-mail me at: <mailto:Th***** ********@gmail. com>

[agarwal.prateek]

result=(x-y) //subtract y from x
//if x>y result is +ve else -ve

result=result >>31 //get the sign bit to last bit
result=result&0 x01 //mask the last bit

return x*result + y*(~result & 0x1)

if result =1 x will be returned as ~result&0x1 would be 0

[Walter Roberson]

In article <11************ **********@g47g 2000cwa.googleg roups.com>,
<ag************ *@gmail.com> wrote:

result=(x-y) //subtract y from x
//if x>y result is +ve else -ve

Why would the result be negative if the two values are equal?
--
This signature intentionally left... Oh, darn!

[Eric Sosman]

Richard Bos wrote:

Eric Sosman <er*********@su n.com> wrote:

sabarish wrote:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditiona l statements and any relational operators.
This cannot be done, not even by using non-portable
trickery. The reason is simple: there is no such thing
as the "biggest" of just two numbers. The superlative
form of an adjective implies three or more alternatives.

No, they don't. Check the OED.

No thanks; I've got other uses for $295.
What you describe is merely customary in
some circles, but not the only correct usage.

"Some circles" meaning "Those who value English," I
guess ...

Does the OED list "irregardle ss?" Does it list "verb"
as a transitive verb? Does it endorse the sportscasters'
monstrous misuse of the present indicative for the subjunctive
("If I'm Alex Rodriguez I'm looking fast ball here")? We're
down to the old prescriptive vs. descriptive debate, and I for
one choose not use a description of other people's bad usage
as a prescription for my own. Harrumph!

--
Er*********@sun .com

[Ben Pfaff]

"sabarish" <su******@gmail .com> writes:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

This question has been beaten to death over the years. Try
searching the archives.
--
"To get the best out of this book, I strongly recommend that you read it."
--Richard Heathfield

[akarl]

sabarish wrote:

Hi to all. find out the biggest among two numbers without using any
conditional statements and any relational operators.

It's simple as well as off topic (since it's not C specific):

max(x, y) = (x + y + |x - y|) / 2
August

[Keith Thompson]

ag************* @gmail.com writes:

result=(x-y) //subtract y from x
//if x>y result is +ve else -ve

result=result >>31 //get the sign bit to last bit
result=result&0 x01 //mask the last bit

return x*result + y*(~result & 0x1)

if result =1 x will be returned as ~result&0x1 would be 0

That has so many portability problems I'm not going to bother to
decide whether it's correct.

--
Keith Thompson (The_Other_Keit h) ks***@mib.org <http://www.ghoti.net/~kst>
San Diego Supercomputer Center <*> <http://users.sdsc.edu/~kst>
We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.