On 2014-08-11 03:04, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
Rustom Mody wrote:
Its when we have variables that are assigned in multiple places that
we start seeing mathematical abominations like
x = x+1
That's not a mathematical abomination. It's a perfectly reasonable
mathematical equation, one with no solutions since the line f(x) = x and
the line f(x) = x+1 are parallel.
But what does this have to do with programming? Programming *is not*
mathematics, and x = x+1 has a different meaning in programming than in
mathematics. Perhaps it would help if we wrote it using mathematical
notation? Using [x] for subscripts:
x[n+1] = x[n] + 1
we have a perfectly good mathematical recursive definition. All it needs is
an initial value x[0] and we're good to go.
Or a different operator for assignment (to distinguish it more clearly from
equality, which it isn't).
x <- x + 1
x := x + 1
--
Robert Kern
"I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma
that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had
an underlying truth."
-- Umberto Eco
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