Re: Why can't integers become principal functors?

Article View: comp.lang.prolog

Article #2458

#2458

From: Peter Van Roy
Date: Fri, 08 Jan 1993 12:54

16 lines
1280 bytes

In article <CHIK.93Jan7114812@ss38.icot.or.jp>, chik@icot.or.jp (Takashi Chikayama) writes:
> Can somebody explain why integers cannot be the principal functor of
> non-atomic functors?  Are there any theoretical reasons?  Any
> implementational difficulties?  Or just for compatibility with
> previous implementations?
> 
> Takashi Chikayama

There is no fundamental reason why not.  Maybe it was done because
it was imagined it would make it easier to implement efficient
arithmetic.  As an example of the other approach, the LIFE language
(and a fortiori the Wild_LIFE interpreter) allows numbers (and
strings too) as main functors, since arguments may be attached to
any sort, and numbers are sorts.

Peter

Technical Details

Message-ID: <1993Jan8.125400.11673@prl.dec.com>

Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!caen!deccrl!news.crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decprl!decprl!vanroy

References: <CHIK.93Jan7114812@ss38.icot.or.jp>

Show Full Headers

Complete Article Headers

Newsgroups: comp.lang.prolog
Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!caen!deccrl!news.crl.dec.com!pa.dec.com!decprl!decprl!vanroy
From: vanroy@prl.dec.com (Peter Van Roy)
Subject: Re: Why can't integers become principal functors?
Message-ID: <1993Jan8.125400.11673@prl.dec.com>
Sender: news@prl.dec.com (USENET News System)
Nntp-Posting-Host: prl332.prl.dec.com
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation - Paris Research Laboratory
References:  <CHIK.93Jan7114812@ss38.icot.or.jp>
Distribution: comp
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 12:54:00 GMT
Lines: 16

Reply to Parent Message