[ruby-core:58653] [ruby-trunk - Bug #9170][Open] Math.sqrt returns different types when mathn is included; breaks various gems - this bug can be reproduced in Ruby 1.8 as well

Issue #9170 has been reported by kranzky (Jason Hutchens).

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Bug #9170: Math.sqrt returns different types when mathn is included; breaks various gems - this bug can be reproduced in Ruby 1.8 as well
https://bugs.ruby-lang.org/issues/9170

Author: kranzky (Jason Hutchens)
Status: Open
Priority: Normal
Assignee: 
Category: 
Target version: 
ruby -v: ruby 2.0.0p247 (2013-06-27 revision 41674) [x86_64-darwin12.2.1]
Backport: 1.9.3: UNKNOWN, 2.0.0: UNKNOWN


Math.sqrt() usually returns a Float or throws an exception. Some gems rely on this behaviour (e.g. by calling nan? on the results of a calculation that includes a sqrt).

After requiring mathn, Math.sqrt() returns an Integer in some cases (when the results of the sqrt would be a whole number).

Here is a transcript that demonstrates the problem:

$ rvm use ree
Using /Users/jason/.rvm/gems/ree-1.8.7-2012.02
$ ruby -v
ruby 1.8.7 (2012-02-08 MBARI 8/0x6770 on patchlevel 358) [i686-darwin12.1.0], MBARI 0x6770, Ruby Enterprise Edition 2012.02
$ ruby -e "puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
false
$ ruby -e "require 'mathn'; puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
-e:1: undefined method `nan?' for 2:Fixnum (NoMethodError)
$ rvm use 1.9.3
Using /Users/jason/.rvm/gems/ruby-1.9.3-p448
$ ruby -v
ruby 1.9.3p448 (2013-06-27 revision 41675) [x86_64-darwin12.2.0]
$ ruby -e "puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
false
$ ruby -e "require 'mathn'; puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
-e:1:in `<main>': undefined method `nan?' for 2:Fixnum (NoMethodError)
$ rvm use 2.0
Using /Users/jason/.rvm/gems/ruby-2.0.0-p247
$ ruby -v
ruby 2.0.0p247 (2013-06-27 revision 41674) [x86_64-darwin12.2.1]
$ ruby -e "puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
false
$ ruby -e "require 'mathn'; puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
-e:1:in `<main>': undefined method `nan?' for 2:Fixnum (NoMethodError)
$ rvm use jruby
Using /Users/jason/.rvm/gems/jruby-1.7.4
$ ruby -v
jruby 1.7.4 (1.9.3p392) 2013-05-16 2390d3b on Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM 1.6.0_51-b11-457-11M4509 [darwin-x86_64]
$ ruby -e "puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
false
$ ruby -e "require 'mathn'; puts Math.sqrt(4).nan?"
NoMethodError: undefined method `nan?' for 2:Fixnum
  (root) at -e:1

Here is a discussion of how the bug manifests itself: https://github.com/olbrich/ruby-units/pull/48

Inclusion of mathn causes issues in RGeo, Alchemist, ActiveShipping and pry-rails


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