Truncating

Date: 01/19/2002 at 15:37:20
From: Michelle
Subject: Truncating

What does truncating mean?

Date: 01/19/2002 at 18:02:49
From: Doctor Rick
Subject: Re: truncating

Hi, Michelle.

To truncate a number at the hundredths place would mean to drop the 
digits to the right of the hundredths place. This is the same as 
rounding down to the nearest hundredth, unless the number is negative, 
in which case it is the same as rounding up. 

On the other hand, you can truncate a polyhedron by cutting off its 
corners; a "soccer ball" is a truncated icosahedron. In general, you 
can see that the meaning is "to cut off." It is related to the "trunk" 
of a tree, which is what you get if you cut off the branches.

- Doctor Rick, The Math Forum
  http://mathforum.org/dr.math/   

Date: 01/20/2002 at 12:30:09
From: Michelle
Subject: Truncating

Thank You Dr. Math. I appreciate the answer. I think it will help.