# val\_unc
[](https://travis-ci.org/j-browne/val_unc)
A package for handling quantities with uncertainties.
The `ValUnc` type represents a quantity with a mean value `val` and
uncertainties `unc`. It is designed to be used with [newtypes] that wrap a
basic numeric type, e.g. `f64`. This allows for the type to define how
uncertainties should be propagated, with minimal confusion.
[newtypes]: https://doc.rust-lang.org/1.0.0/style/features/types/newtype.html
The `traits` module defines some traits that are necessary for
uncertainty types to be implemented in order for the related type to be
implemented for `ValUnc`. For example, in order to implement `Add` for
`ValUnc`, all of the uncertainty types used must implement `UncAdd`.
These are opt-in and only the traits used need to be implemented.
An example implementation of an uncertainty type is provided in `unc`. It
uses standard error propagation rules (see [this][uncertainty]), and
hopefully can be used if it fits your use case.
[uncertainty]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propagation_of_uncertainty
# Features
The `serde` feature can be enabled for use with [`serde`]. A `ValUnc<V, U>`
is (de)serialized as a `(V, U)` or if `unc` is zero, according to
[`num-traits::Zero`], just a `V`.
[`serde`]: https://serde.rs
[`num-traits::Zero`]: https://docs.rs/num-traits/*/num_traits/identities/trait.Zero.html
# Examples
The following demonstrates how one would go about creating uncertainty
types and implementing the traits necessary for doing math with `ValUnc`
(only `Add`, in this case). Notably, the implementations of `UncAdd` are
different. The two uncertainties, though, can be used together in one
`ValUnc`.
```rust
use val_unc::{ValUnc, UncAdd};
// This is a type for statistical uncertainties.
// The result of adding two `StatUnc`s is the square root of the sum of the squares.
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Default)]
struct StatUnc(pub f64);
impl<T> UncAdd<T> for StatUnc {
fn unc_add(self, _self_val: T, other: Self, _other_val: T) -> Self {
Self(f64::sqrt(f64::powi(self.0, 2) + f64::powi(other.0, 2)))
}
}
// This is a type for systematic uncertainties.
// The result of adding two `SysUnc`s is the sum of the two.
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, PartialOrd, Default)]
struct SysUnc(pub f64);
impl<T> UncAdd<T> for SysUnc {
fn unc_add(self, _self_val: T, other: Self, _other_val: T) -> Self {
Self(self.0 + other.0)
}
}
// Create two values and add them together
let v1 = ValUnc::new(10.2, (StatUnc(4.0), SysUnc(1.25)));
let v2 = ValUnc::new(8.5, (StatUnc(3.0), SysUnc(1.25)));
// You can use destructuring to unpack the results
let ValUnc { val, unc: (stat, sys) } = v1 + v2;
assert!(f64::abs(val - 18.7) <= std::f64::EPSILON);
assert!(f64::abs(stat.0 - 5.0) <= std::f64::EPSILON);
assert!(f64::abs(sys.0 - 2.5) <= std::f64::EPSILON);
```