-10^2 (OT)

[Dar Scott]

On Thursday, May 22, 2003, at 09:22 AM, Chris Sheffield wrote:

> Hope I don't get flamed for this, but I don't agree.
> :-)  Someone feel free to dispute me if I'm wrong, but
> I think Rev is correct.  Isn't -10^2 the same as
> -10*-10?  And don't two negatives yield a positive
> when multiplied together?  Therefore, the answer would
> be 100.  It's basic Algebra.

I believe in traditional mathematical notation negation is like 
multiplication of -1.  Since the power would be done before 
multiplication, the traditional view would see the expression as 
-(10^2).

Given that I would be surprised if some folks learn it otherwise when 
learning algebra.

I am pleased when programming languages follow mathematical tradition.  
However, we are already separated by / and * and ^ and even ** in some 
languages, so the syntax is different.  The greatest difference is in 
the case of juxtaposition for multiplication, which is already 
ambiguous in traditional mathematics since it is also used for function 
application.  I think we have to accept programming languages as 
different.  (I frowned when I heard the True Basic ads saying Basic is 
the language of algebra.)

I think I have seen some programming language handle negation as the 
traditional mathematical way (Haskell?), but I'm not sure.

I think at this point we will all remember that negation is evaluated 
before power in Revolution.

Dar Scott