From edward.cherlin.sy.67@aya.yale.edu Sun Mar 03 13:35:40 2002 Return-Path: X-Sender: cherlin@pacbell.net X-Apparently-To: lojban@yahoogroups.com Received: (EGP: unknown); 3 Mar 2002 21:35:40 -0000 Received: (qmail 49910 invoked from network); 3 Mar 2002 21:35:39 -0000 Received: from unknown (216.115.97.172) by m6.grp.snv.yahoo.com with QMQP; 3 Mar 2002 21:35:39 -0000 Received: from unknown (HELO mta7.pltn13.pbi.net) (64.164.98.8) by mta2.grp.snv.yahoo.com with SMTP; 3 Mar 2002 21:35:39 -0000 Received: from there ([216.102.199.245]) by mta7.pltn13.pbi.net (iPlanet Messaging Server 5.1 (built May 7 2001)) with SMTP id <0GSF00E7O2NFVG@mta7.pltn13.pbi.net> for lojban@yahoogroups.com; Sun, 03 Mar 2002 13:35:39 -0800 (PST) Date: Sun, 03 Mar 2002 13:35:38 -0800 Subject: pabu (was Re: Anything but tautologies) In-reply-to: <3C7E8721.2070601@reutershealth.com> To: John Cowan , pycyn@aol.com Cc: lojban@yahoogroups.com Message-id: <0GSF00E7P2NFVG@mta7.pltn13.pbi.net> Organization: Web for Humans MIME-version: 1.0 X-Mailer: KMail [version 1.3.1] Content-type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Content-transfer-encoding: quoted-printable References: <152.9a4c464.29afcdd0@aol.com> <3C7E8721.2070601@reutershealth.com> X-eGroups-From: Edward Cherlin From: Edward Cherlin Reply-To: edward@webforhumans.com X-Yahoo-Group-Post: member; u=31895329 X-Yahoo-Profile: echerlin On Thursday 28 February 2002 11:38, John Cowan wrote: > pycyn@aol.com wrote: ... > > And what does {pabu} mean, then (if it is legal, as it should > > be)? > > It is not yet defined to mean anything in particular. In discussing mappings between multiplicative structures,=20 mathematicians sometimes say that the general element x is mapped to=20 x', and that the specific unit element 1 is mapped to 1'. Some on=20 this group will object, I am sure, to bringing such a usage into=20 Lojban. I argue neither for nor against (at least today). > I would write n, n', n'', ... as ny. ny.bu ny.bubu ... > (People who say "n double prime" should be dissected!) Or perhaps factored? :-) My son objects strenuously to much of mathematical terminology and=20 usage, in somewhat this manner. For example, the usage sin^n x for=20 sin x^n, except for sin^-1 x for arcsine x (which we can get away=20 with, since (sin x)^-1 is csc x). My view is that people can define=20 their notations and their readings for their notations with=20 considerable freedom, as long as the result is efficient=20 communication (with the exception of obfuscated programming, of=20 course). However, I am pleased that the Lojban reading of x''' will=20 be so simple that nobody should be tempted to fudge it.=20 --=20 Edward Cherlin "When I use a word," said Humpty Dumpty, "it means exactly what I=20 intend for it to mean, neither more nor less."