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further README cleanup

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NunoSempere 2024-02-02 15:56:00 +01:00
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@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ squiggle.c is a self-contained C99 library that provides functions for simple Mo
- Because C is honest - Because C is honest
- Because it will last long - Because it will last long
- Because it can be made faster if need be, e.g., with a multi-threading library like OpenMP, by implementing faster but more complex algorithms, or more simply, by inlining the sampling functions (adding an `inline` directive before their function declaration) - Because it can be made faster if need be, e.g., with a multi-threading library like OpenMP, by implementing faster but more complex algorithms, or more simply, by inlining the sampling functions (adding an `inline` directive before their function declaration)
- **Because there are few abstractions between it and machine code** (C => assembly => machine code with gcc, or C => machine code, with tcc), leading to fewer errors beyond the programmer's control. - Because there are few abstractions between it and machine code (C => assembly => machine code with gcc, or C => machine code, with tcc), leading to fewer errors beyond the programmer's control.
- Because it can fit in my head - Because it can fit in my head
- Because if you can implement something in C, you can implement it anywhere else - Because if you can implement something in C, you can implement it anywhere else
@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ squiggle.c is a self-contained C99 library that provides functions for simple Mo
This code should aim to be correct, then simple, then fast. This code should aim to be correct, then simple, then fast.
- It should be correct. The user should be able to rely on it and not think about whether errors come from the library. - It should be correct. The user should be able to rely on it and not think about whether errors come from the library.
- Nonetheless, the user should understand the limitations of sampling-based methods. See the section on [Tests and the long tail of the lognormal](https://git.nunosempere.com/personal/squiggle.c/FOLK_WISDOM.md#tests-and-the-long-tail-of-the-lognormal) for a discussion of how sampling is bad at capturing some aspects of distributions with long tails. - Nonetheless, the user should understand the limitations of sampling-based methods. See the section on [Tests and the long tail of the lognormal](https://git.nunosempere.com/personal/squiggle.c/src/branch/master/FOLK_WISDOM.md#tests-and-the-long-tail-of-the-lognormal) for a discussion of how sampling is bad at capturing some aspects of distributions with long tails.
- It should be clear, conceptually simple. Simple for me to implement, simple for others to understand. - It should be clear, conceptually simple. Simple for me to implement, simple for others to understand.
- It should be fast. But when speed conflicts with simplicity, choose simplicity. For example, there might be several possible algorithms to sample a distribution, each of which is faster over part of the domain. In that case, it's conceptually simpler to just pick one algorithm, and pay the—normally small—performance penalty. - It should be fast. But when speed conflicts with simplicity, choose simplicity. For example, there might be several possible algorithms to sample a distribution, each of which is faster over part of the domain. In that case, it's conceptually simpler to just pick one algorithm, and pay the—normally small—performance penalty.
- In any case, though, the code should still be *way faster* than, say, Python. - In any case, though, the code should still be *way faster* than, say, Python.