Return-Path: Delivery-Date: Received: from antares.mcs.anl.gov (actually antares9.mcs.anl.gov !OR! owner-qed@mcs.anl.gov) by swan.cl.cam.ac.uk with SMTP (PP-6.5) outside ac.uk; Wed, 26 Oct 1994 22:55:59 +0000 Received: from localhost (listserv@localhost) by antares.mcs.anl.gov (8.6.4/8.6.4) id RAA12434 for qed-out; Wed, 26 Oct 1994 17:52:16 -0500 Received: from catseye.idbsu.edu (catseye.idbsu.edu [132.178.200.125]) by antares.mcs.anl.gov (8.6.4/8.6.4) with SMTP id RAA12429 for ; Wed, 26 Oct 1994 17:52:07 -0500 Message-Id: <199410262252.RAA12429@antares.mcs.anl.gov> Received: by catseye.idbsu.edu (1.38.193.4/16.2) id AA08401; Wed, 26 Oct 1994 16:52:50 -0600 Date: Wed, 26 Oct 1994 16:52:50 -0600 From: Randall Holmes To: qed@mcs.anl.gov Subject: Bit strings and semantics Sender: owner-qed@mcs.anl.gov Precedence: bulk With a suitable ADT interface, bit strings can be made to look like objects of the most amazing and diverse sorts!!! (lists (even infinite ones!), trees, formulas of your favorite language, arbitrary-precision integers, maybe even ZFC sets :-) So the argument against the semantic, non-formalist attitude is belied by C. S. practice. We are not exhorted to remember that objects of the usual CS types are implemented as bit strings in various odd ways -- in fact, we are usually supposed to forget this!!! The opinions expressed | --Sincerely, above are not the "official" | M. Randall Holmes opinions of any person | Math. Dept., Boise State Univ. or institution. | holmes@math.idbsu.edu