[LEAPSECS] Java JSR-310 TAIInstant class

[Warner Losh]

On 01/31/2011 10:00, Tony Finch wrote:

> On Sat, 29 Jan 2011, Warner Losh wrote:

>> A second minor point: TAI does not exist before this point.  Proleptic TAI is

>> used, but more often TT is used for epochs prior to the present.  I'd just

>> note here that a proleptic TAI is used for dates prior to the 1958 epoch.

> How is proleptic TAI defined? In particular, before 1955? Does it remain

> TT + 32.184s?


I don't know.  In general, I'd suppose that it would be implemented as 
counting time elapsing in mean solar seconds of the day, which avoids 
all kinds of ugly tables and such and more or less matches existing 
practices of the day.

Unlike the proleptic Gregorian, there is no unique sensible definition 
that aligns with common practice, or that can trivially be converted 
from one to the other.  There are several to select from...

Warner