Re: Science, Philosophy, Mysticism, Art, Mathematics, and Physics

From: Albert (albertwagner_at_cox.net)
Date: 12/26/04 

Date: Sun, 26 Dec 2004 11:29:13 -0600

Albert van der Horst wrote:
> In article <1Umvd.231528$HA.34538@attbi_s01>,
> AngleWyrm <no_spam_anglewyrm@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>"stlbl" <wjgreen1@verizon.net> wrote in message
>>news:1102958973.712136.259420@c13g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...
>>
>>>In physics "=" as in A=B, means "A is directly proportional to B
>>>multiplied by something very close to 1 most of the time". In computer
>>>engineering it means, A is now B, until I tell you otherwise.
>>
>>Computer science might also describe '=' as A is copied from B.
>
>
> American hacker programmer languages like FORTRAN c c++ do that.
>
> Computer science languages like ALGOL's ADA's and PASCAL's
> use ':=' (becomes).

Actually, '=' and ':=' often have the exact same semantic
meaning: the imperative, 'Assign to A the value of B'; sometimes
this is done by creating a copy and sometimes it is done by
pointing A to B, in which case A and B are identical, and not
just of equal value. The relationship to the mathematical symbol
'=' (A is equal to B) is simply a convenient leveraging of the
mathematical meaning into a different context with a modified
meaning. In all computer languages the meaning of any symbol is
defined in the interpretation: compiler, translator, virtual machine.

>
> Groetjes Albert
>
> P.s. there is now such thing as identity, there is just equivalence
> classes.
> (The notion that something is identical to itself is about as
> worthless as a truth can be.)

Not in programming, e.g. one item in a set might be iterating
over all items in that set, in which case is very useful to be
able to identify its self. 

-- 
"Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the 
range of thought? In the end we shall make thoughtcrime literally 
impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it."
     -- George Orwell as Syme in "1984"

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Science, Philosophy, Mysticism, Art, Mathematics, and Physics
    ... Albert van der Horst wrote: ... > Computer science languages like ALGOL's ADA's and PASCAL's ... meaning: the imperative, 'Assign to A the value of B'; ... The relationship to the mathematical symbol ...
    (sci.physics)
  • Re: Science, Philosophy, Mysticism, Art, Mathematics, and Physics
    ... Albert van der Horst wrote: ... > Computer science languages like ALGOL's ADA's and PASCAL's ... meaning: the imperative, 'Assign to A the value of B'; ... The relationship to the mathematical symbol ...
    (sci.math)
  • Re: Clarity vs. code reuse/generality
    ... That would be my patience. ... would be saying "Oh wow, I've just learned a new meaning to the word, ... I'm now less ignorant than I was a minute ago". ... Albert van der Horst, UTRECHT,THE NETHERLANDS ...
    (comp.lang.python)