On 2011-05-31 15:38:27 -0400, eles <e...@eles.com> said:
But, it is just the very same operations that you would make for 0- based indexes, as well as for 1-based indexes. Is just like you would replace +j with -j (squares of -1). The whole mathematics would remain just as they are, because the two are completely inter- exchangeable. Because, in the first place, the choice of +j and of -j is *arbitrary*. The same stands for 0-based vs. 1-based (ie. the field Zn could be from 0 to n-1 as well as from 1 to n). The choice is arbitrary. But this choice *has nothing to do* with the rest of the mathematical theory, and nothing to do with the closed-limit vs. open-limit problem.
You're arguing about mathematics. Mathematically, there is little difference. I'll concede that.
It's about efficiency. It's about the compiler emitting less instructions, the processor making less calculations, and about your program running faster.
It also makes some things conceptually simpler, but that's hard to see until you're used to it. I think Nick Sabalausky made a good case for that.
-- Michel Fortin michel.for...@michelf.com http://michelf.com/
