I don't really want to debate whether 0-origin or 1-origin is better (you can find a record of a previous discussion in Is Index Origin 0 a Hindrance? <http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/indexorigin.htm>), but I do take issue with your statement that mathematics has origin one. Consider the following power series, among many other such series.
+/ (⍵*⍳n) ÷ !⍳n ⍝ APL +/ (x*i.n) % ! i.n ⍝ J One way to think about index origin, is to consider the question whether 1 is a prime. http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/APLDesignExercises1.htm#14 ⎕io *delenda est*. On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 12:48 PM, Don Guinn <dongu...@gmail.com> wrote: > Perhaps the mistake was for APL to include an index origin of zero. FORTRAN > has index origin one and so does mathematics. The idea of index origin zero > came from computer programming as it allows the first element of an array > to fall at the address. Software convenience. PLI was interesting in that > it allowed the first element of an array to be DECLAREd as any number. > Basic cheats. When DIMensioning an array as size N it creates N+1 elements > with the first element index zero. But if one wants, there is an index N > element also so one can start from one. > > On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 1:35 PM, John Baker <bakerj...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > As I recall Carthage was destroyed. Maybe the scourge of index origin 1 > > will follow. > > > > Cheers > > > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > > On May 17, 2018, at 1:23 PM, Roger Hui <rogerhui.can...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > > > > > If it used alpha and omega then it's not tacit. Tacit means no > explicit > > > mention of the function arguments; the term "tacit" was invented in > 1991 > > > http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/TacitDefn.htm . Tacit definition was > > first > > > used APL\360, way back in 1966, as in +/ , but it was not recognized as > > > tacit. What made tacit fly were forks, first implemented in J in > version > > > 0.1. In fact, tacit defn was implemented in J long before explicit > defn. > > > > > > > > > > > >> On Thu, May 17, 2018 at 12:14 PM, Don Guinn <dongu...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > >> > > >> Tacit came out first in APL. Used alpha and omega. First time I saw > +/÷# > > >> and thought "What is that??" (Sorry. Couldn't find rho.) > > >> > > >>> On Thu, May 17, 2018, 11:24 AM David Lambert <b49p23t...@gmail.com> > > wrote: > > >>> > > >>> "APL and J are conceptually similar. That is, one knowing one > language > > >> can > > >>> easily pick up the other. " > > >>> Verbs and rank thinking are easily transferred. Tacit programming > was > > >> new > > >>> and difficult for me, having used APL, APL2, and a VAX-VMS APL from > > DEC. > > >>> .QQ is quote quad, .BX is box, etceteras. > > >>> ------------------------------------------------------------ > ---------- > > >>> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/ > forums.htm > > >> ------------------------------------------------------------ > ---------- > > >> For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/ > forums.htm > > >> > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
