Re: [Axiom-developer] Unit package question

[Martin Rubey]

Ralf Hemmecke writes:

 > >>Can it happen that the ratio of two units is irrational?
 > 
 > > Irrational as in an irrational number or irrational as in nonsensical
 > > or nonphysical?  

in the sense irrational number.
 
 > Theoretically the ratio could be an irrational number, but any number
 > written out in decimal form that I have ever seen in my life was rational.

Well, that's by definition of rational ...

 > Maybe there is someone who knows of two units that are in irrational
 > correspondence. What about a \pi meter?

No, that is not an example, since \pi meter is not a unit. Well, I looked at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversion_of_units

So the following are problematic:

* Bohr radius for lenght

* circular mil and circular inch for area

* various conversion between angles

* most of the atomic units.

So very probably, one should somehow allow for an additional scalar factor of
type Expression Integer...

Martin