dly <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Dear Randy
>
> RE:  The balance of your e-mail not otherwise addressed.
>
> 1.1-.1
> 1.1
>     1.1-0.1
> 1
>     -,1
> _1
>
> I am not sure what you refer to as a gotcha.

This is a problem based on the perception of the reader.
The expression '1.1-.1' is ambiguous.

Someone who is versed in reading Mathematics, but not as
familiar with J, will parse this as '1.1 - .1' or '1.1 minus 0.1'
for which the expected result would be 1 (resulting from subtraction)

However, someone well conversant with J rhematic rules
will parse this as '1.1 -. 1' or '1.1 less 1'
for which the expected result would be 1.1
(as a result of excluding all occurrences of the number 1
from a set containing the single element 1.1 - since
it does not occur, the set is left unchanged).

People conversant in both notations may occasionally
read something meant for one context and erroneously
parse it as if it were meant for the other.
(Similar confusion occurs with 'x*y+z', 'x-y-z', etc.)

-- Mark D. Niemiec <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>

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