Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

From: Marshall Spight <mspight_at_dnai.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2004 14:04:22 GMT
Message-ID: <GFeEc.135348$Sw.43942_at_attbi_s51>


"x" <x-false_at_yahoo.com> wrote in message news:40e112ec_at_post.usenet.com...
> **** Post for FREE via your newsreader at post.usenet.com ****
>
> What do you plan to do with this algebra of lists ?

Manipulate lists. One would have a set of functions that take lists as arguments and return lists as results. The goal in my mind is to have something that would be reminiscent of the completeness criteria that one can use to evaluate set algebras.

> How your list is different from a string or a tree ?

String is a subtype of list, where the element type is character. List is a subtype of tree, where each node in the tree has only one child.

> How your algebra would be different from lambda calculus ?

The lambda calculus deals with functions. Operations include abstraction and application. A list algebra would deal with lists. Operations would include things like add and delete. There would be no application operation. Also, the lambda calculus is a calculus, whereas my list algebra would be an algebra.

> You plan to use any lists or some particular kind of lists ?

Any list.

> Haven't you heard of Noam Chomsky ?

Yes, I have heard of Noam Chomsky. He's done a lot with parsing, and with political agitation. I'm not aware of any work of his relating to lists specifically. Okay, maybe you mean something about type-3 grammars? I think that's a worthy area for exploration; it makes sense to, for example, explore the idea of regular expressions as generic list operations rather than the more normal string operations. But I don't think that's going to be part of the algebra; the algebra is more basic than that.

Honestly, I would appreciate it if you would stop talking in riddles. It sounds like you have something to say, but don't want to say it for some pedagogical reason or something. Can't we just have a discussion? An exchange of ideas?

Marshall Received on Tue Jun 29 2004 - 16:04:22 CEST

Original text of this message