Subject: value of maxN

From: Chee Yap <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 20 Sep 1999 09:14:50 -0400 (EDT)

In hw1, we defined maxN to be the first WRONG argument
for fact.  
We also ask that your factorial function should
allow inputs between 0 and maxN **inclusive**.
As some of you rightly pointed out,
this means that fact(maxN) is actually a
wrong answer.

So the question is, why allow maxN.  Shouldn't
the arguments be restricted to 0 to maxN - 1, inclusive?

The answer is we deliberately want you to
allow maxN, so that one could verify that your answer is
wrong for maxN but correct for maxN - 1.

--Chee

> From [email-masked] Fri Sep 17 15:44 EDT 1999
> X-Authentication-Warning: slinky.cs.nyu.edu: archi owned process doing -bs
> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 15:44:07 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Archisman Rudra <[email-masked]>
> To: Chee Yap <[email-masked]>
> Subject: more problems (fwd)
> 
>   Hi Chee,
>       I think Robert is right. The 3rd problem should be modified
> so that the program spits out an error message even in the case of
> getting maxN as the input.
> 
> -- Archi
> 
> 
> 
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> Date: Fri, 17 Sep 1999 10:55:25 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Robert Szarek <[email-masked]>
> To: [email-masked]
> Subject: more problems
> 
> you ask us to call the smallest wrong factorial maxN, but then u ask us to
> write an error message if the user provides an argument not between 0 and
> maxN INCLUSIVE, but maxN is a WRONG answer so it shouldnt be inclusive up
> till maxN
> ---------------
> Rob
> 
> 
>