[Axiom-developer] Re: [open-axiom-devel] [fricas-devel] Re: [fricas-devel] Re: iterators and cartesian product.

[Bill Page]

On 10/31/07, Ralf Hemmecke wrote:
> > Yes exactly, although I am not sure why we need both Cross and Record.
>
> Elements of Record are mutable, elements of Cross are not.
>

Ok, thanks. I am not so sure how to deal with that distinction in a
"categorical" manner. I suppose mutability is an imperative-style
programming notion. I think the lack of mutability in functional
languages like Haskell is one of the harder things to get used to but
at the same time one of it's greatest strengths. In general I would
like Aldor/SPAD to promote a more functional style without necessarily
requiring it.

>
> PS: Shouldn't this discussion go to axiom-developer instead of axiom-math?
>

Maybe you are right but recently I have been avoiding axiom-developer
since Tim made it clear that the Axiom project per se was interested
primarily in documentation and the "30 year horizon". I originally
included axiom-math because I thought there might still be some people
subscribed there who are interested in more immediate issues in Axiom
and about category theory in Axiom/Aldor. But I have to admit that the
profusion of email lists about Axiom, it's forks and Aldor is
confusing to me and probably to our collective disadvantage.

Regards,
Bill Page.