> This usually isn't done because integers and decimals are fundamentally very similar, so for addition there is a platonic correct result when you add an integer and a float (the floating point result)
After further consideration, I believe this is incorrect. This usually isn't done because integers are closed under addition, subtraction, and multiplication, so the "promote according to argument type" C behavior doesn't lose accuracy in those cases. There obviously is a platonic correct result when you divide two integers, but it is not in general an integer, so the C behavior introduces bugs (explaining the popularity of divide_and_return_float() -- I don't care what types the arguments were, as long as I get the result I'm looking for).
After further consideration, I believe this is incorrect. This usually isn't done because integers are closed under addition, subtraction, and multiplication, so the "promote according to argument type" C behavior doesn't lose accuracy in those cases. There obviously is a platonic correct result when you divide two integers, but it is not in general an integer, so the C behavior introduces bugs (explaining the popularity of divide_and_return_float() -- I don't care what types the arguments were, as long as I get the result I'm looking for).