http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/EvalOrder.htm
K.E. Iverson, Appendix A, Conventions Governing Order of Evaluation, Elementary Functions: An Algorithmic Treatment, Science Research Associates, 1966. ----- Original Message ----- From: mijj <[email protected]> Date: Saturday, August 13, 2011 20:07 Subject: Re: [Jchat] Fibonacci Sequence To: Chat forum <[email protected]> > interesting that Fibonacci was a significant in spreading the > arabic > number system in europe .. but the number order wasn't reversed > to > account for our writing in the other direction ... thus the > reason we > all write numbers backwards. > > .. plus .. while on the subject of direction .. why was APL thus > J > direction of evaluation set to be right to left? .. wouldn't > it'd be > more natural as left to right? (ie. the same direction as > writing, or > the direction which represents the progression of time) > > On 2011-08-13 20:25, Joey K Tuttle wrote: > > A friend pointed me to an NPR audio segment - > > > > > http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/201108124> > > Which is an author interview, abstract - > > > > How Leonardo of Pisa, aka Fibonacci, Introduced The World To Numbers > > > > To carry out their calculations, merchants in the early 13th century > > used an abacus or a system called finger reckoning. Commerce changed > > when Leonardo of Pisa -- known today as Fibonacci -- published the > > first arithmetic textbook. Mathematician Keith Devlin talks > about the > > history of arithmetic and his new book The Man of Numbers: > > Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution. > > > > > > ~~ > > > > An interesting remark in the interview is that the sequence we are > > fond of was an incidental example among many that Fibonacci > used to > > stir up interest. > > > > The talk show hawks the Devlin's new book "The Man of Numbers: > > Fibonacci's Arithmetic Revolution" and a companion ebook "Leonardo > > and Steve: The Young Genius Who Beat Apple to Market by 800 > Years" - > > they look interesting, especially the cheap ($3) Kindle book which > > purports to be the core content of the longer book. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For information about J forums see http://www.jsoftware.com/forums.htm
