pg.ddx.io  pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org mailing list archive  
help / color / mirror / Atom feed
From: PG Bug reporting form <noreply@postgresql.org>
To: pgsql-bugs@lists.postgresql.org
Cc: neverov.max@gmail.com
Subject: BUG #17329: Aggregate Functions Precision Error
Date: Wed, 08 Dec 2021 21:02:56 +0000
Message-ID: <17329-8c3b204b1716bd24@postgresql.org> (raw)

The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference:      17329
Logged by:          Max Neverov
Email address:      neverov.max@gmail.com
PostgreSQL version: 13.3
Operating system:   Alpine 10.3.1_git20210424
Description:        

Aggregate functions (described here
https://www.postgresql.org/docs/current/functions-aggregate.html#FUNCTIONS-AGGREGATE-STATISTICS-TABL...)
that are defined for double precision type suffer from loss of
significance.
Corresponding code see
https://github.com/postgres/postgres/blob/49407dc32a2931550e4ff1dea314b6a25afdfc35/src/backend/utils....

Consider the following:
drop table if exists test;
create table test(y numeric, x numeric);
insert into test values
(1, 3),
(2, 3.0e+22),
(3, -3);
select covar_pop(y, x) from test;
     covar_pop
-------------------
 699050.6666666666
(1 row)

truncate table test;

insert into test values
(1, 3),
(3, -3),
(2, 3.0e+22);
select covar_pop(y, x) from test;
 covar_pop
-----------
        -2
(1 row)

truncate table test;

insert into test values
(2, 3.0e+22),
(3, -3),
(1, 3);
select covar_pop(y, x) from test;
     covar_pop
--------------------
 -699050.6666666666
(1 row)

The expected result is -2. 
The result depends on the order of values although it shouldn't. This
happens because operations with 3.0e+22 lead to the loss of precision since
the type can hold only 15 decimal digits precision. 
Even if the functions defined for double precision type I would expect
Postgres either to report an error or to return the correct result.



view thread (3+ messages)  latest in thread

Message-ID: <17329-8c3b204b1716bd24@postgresql.org>
Permalink:  ../17329-8c3b204b1716bd24@postgresql.org/
Also on:    postgresql.org/message-id/17329-8c3b204b1716bd24@postgresql.org

 · 

reply

Reply instructions:

You may reply publicly to this message via plain-text email
using any one of the following methods:

* Reply to all the recipients using the --to and --cc options:
  reply via email

  To: pgsql-bugs@postgresql.org
  Cc: noreply@postgresql.org, pgsql-bugs@lists.postgresql.org, neverov.max@gmail.com
  Subject: Re: BUG #17329: Aggregate Functions Precision Error
  In-Reply-To: <17329-8c3b204b1716bd24@postgresql.org>

* Save the following mbox file, import it into your mail client,
  and reply-to-all from there: mbox

This inbox is served by DDX for PostgreSQL; see mirroring instructions
for how to clone and mirror all data and code used for this inbox