Re: Re: lookup-table thoughts (was Re: matching multip

On 7 Nov 2001 10:43:40 GMT, David Carlisle <davidc@xxxxxxxxx> said

>Jeni> I find it easier to design a tail-recursive template if I imagine the
>Jeni> equivalent loop for what I want to do, which in this case would be:
>
>Jeni, this shows a serious lack of indoctrination.
>Write out 1000 lines:
>
>I should understand loops as being syntax for a simple form of recursion.
>
>(extra bonus points awarded for using a tail recursive procedure to
>produce the text...)

hmph. Write out aleph-null times: 

  I should understand recursion as being syntax for the least fixedpoint of 
a continuous monotonic functional (the limit of an "iterative" process, based
on higher-order functions as the true basis of simplicity in programming).

(extra bonus points awarded for using the smallest-Goedel-number Turing
machine that performs this function.)

I guess what I'm thinking of is

   To iterate is illiterate
   to recurse is worse
   to avoid this trap, see
   instructions on MAPC.
     (attributed to Vaughan Pratt)

   or, of course, rather than instructions on MAPC, maybe see Dimitre's forthcoming
article....

Tom Myers


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