Re: st: large numbers in comb(n,k) function: no success

[Maarten buis <maartenbuis@yahoo.co.uk>]

--- On Thu, 5/2/09, Inna Becher wrote:
> I would like to implement a comb(n,k) function. But my
> Stata does not allow it because of large n, k-numbers.
> N=180000 and k=2000. Is there any other way to do it? I
> wasn't successful by using exp(lnfactorial(n)) in mata
> as well.

The outcome of comb(180000,2000) is going to be,
ridiculously large (> 8e+307) and it hits the limit of what 
can be stored in double precision, so I don't think there 
is any way of doing this. 

-- Maarten

-----------------------------------------
Maarten L. Buis
Department of Social Research Methodology
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Boelelaan 1081
1081 HV Amsterdam
The Netherlands

visiting address:
Buitenveldertselaan 3 (Metropolitan), room N515

+31 20 5986715

http://home.fsw.vu.nl/m.buis/
-----------------------------------------





      

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