But I could describe the way that expression is interpreted in strictly mathematical terms. (Though I would hate to waste my time on such a useless endeavor.) You've just described a different way of writing down the same meaning. There is nothing intrinsically special about the way standard mathematical notation is used. It was an accident of history. I could just as well write it out in reverse polish notation.
y 5 2 + b * := This is still math, just a different dialect. We can invent new dialects all day. This dynamic extensibility is one of the wonderful things about math as opposed to ordinary language; if math in its current form doesn't do what I need it to do, I can just expand it in the direction I need it to go. So long as the end result is unambiguous and I've communicated how it works effectively to others, I'm good. The integral sign is a classic example of this process in use. It's just a fancy S (for "sum") made up to simplify the expression of a complex construct for which the existing tools of the time were inadequate. On Tue, Jan 8, 2013 at 2:18 PM, David Clark <[email protected]>wrote: > Obviously my point about languages was a metaphor for CS and Math and > wasn’t meant to be taken literally.**** > > ** ** > > The language I am creating has an absolute definition and that is called > source code (the source code you would write in rather than the source code > I used to create it.). This is not Mathematics.**** > > ** ** > > I will give an example. Many computer languages have many levels of > precedence in evaluating expressions. Some have up to 20 levels.**** > > ** ** > > In Math the expression:**** > > y=5 + 2*b**** > > ** ** > > This means 2 times b plus 5 store to y. It’s left to right but > multiplication has a higher precedence than addition in Math.**** > > ** ** > > In my Code this would mean**** > > 5 plus 2 times b store in y. I have no precedence levels in expressions > so they compute left to right.**** > > ** ** > > Note: In Math and in my language, anything enclosed in round brackets is > executed first.**** > > ** ** > > My point is that the above expression in Math and in my language are > different. It looks the same but it describes something different.**** > > ** ** > > All functions and variables in my language were designed for either > computer hardware reasons or for systems and programming concerns. I have > a whole group of math functions like log, tan, cos etc but they are only > included because they are available for free and would be difficult to > duplicate if a programmer needed them. I have never used such functions in > hundreds of thousands of lines of code myself.**** > > ** ** > > David Clark**** > > ** ** > > Bottom line, CS is not Math.**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Steve Richfield [mailto:[email protected]] > *Sent:* January-08-13 10:41 AM > > *To:* AGI > *Subject:* Re: [agi] Why Logic & Maths Have Sweet FA to do with Real > world reasoning**** > > ** ** > > Apparently, there aren't people into language translation on this forum to > let this pass...**** > > On Mon, Jan 7, 2013 at 11:06 PM, Aaron Hosford <[email protected]> > wrote:**** > > I challenge you to describe something in a foreign language that can’t be > formulated in English? If necessary, I will just incorporate whatever > foreign word you say into English to make sure I win! Obviously every > language is English, right?**** > > > There are a very finite number of words and ways of arranging them, and so > there is a collection of things that can be said, in a continuum of things > that can NOT be said. > > German partially addresses this by allowing any number of words to be run > together to craft a specific meaning. > > Arabic partially addresses this by abolishing the idea of correct > spelling, and encouraging varying spelling for emphasis, e.g. by proceeding > ever sooooo slowly. When I traveled to Saudi Arabia, I saw the same English > words spelled as many as 3 different ways on the same OFFICIAL documents, > along with the ubiquitous red stamp DEATH TO DRUG DEALERS. > > To see an attempt to do a really good job, just look at any of the > translations of the Koran. There, you will see more notes than direct > translation, and in reading the notes, it becomes clear that there is a LOT > lost in the best possible translation. Of course, even notes have their > limitations. You have to be there to understand what there is all about. > Different places even smell different. > > Steve**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > *AGI* | Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now> > <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/23050605-2da819ff> | > Modify<https://www.listbox.com/member/?&;>Your Subscription > <http://www.listbox.com> > ------------------------------------------- AGI Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/303/=now RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/303/21088071-f452e424 Modify Your Subscription: https://www.listbox.com/member/?member_id=21088071&id_secret=21088071-58d57657 Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
