Message-Id: <9202071556.AA05692@relay1.UU.NET>
Date:         Fri, 7 Feb 1992 15:33:09 +0000
Reply-To: And Rosta <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!ucleaar>
Sender: Lojban list <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!LOJBAN>
From: And Rosta <cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu!ucleaar>
Subject:      Re: Digit strings
To: John Cowan <cowan@snark.thyrsus.com>
In-Reply-To:  (Your message of Tue,
              04 Feb 92 08:39:54 EST.) <3930.9202051327@ucl.ac.uk
Status: RO

Given Lojban's kill-one-bird-with-many-stones principle, I wonder whether
the option of listing digits in order of increasing magnitude has been
considered. I.e. 1,234,567,890 comes out as 0987654321.

The disadvantage with this is you don't know how big the number is going
to get. But there could be some way of announcing its level of magnitude
prior to listing the digits. Anyway, this solution is still needed even
if digits are listed in decreasing magnitude, else you still have to wait to
the end of the number before you know how big it is. The advantage of
starting units first is you can compute the number as you go by a process
of addition.

Another disadvantage is where 'decimal' places go - my suggestion is only
nice for integers.

This seems like an area where it would be good for Lojban to provide
constrained flexibility and let usage determine the preferred options.

---
And