Re: Why is LISP syntax superior?

Take next TeX construct

{{\partial \rho \over \partial t} = L \rho}

i could write it like

(= (over ((partial) (rho)) ((partial) t)) (L (rho)))

in a S(cheme)XML like way. Initially, i suggested next way for CanonML

[[::partial ::rho ::over ::partial t] = L ::rho]

that is a pure copy of TeX-like code.

However, input sintaxes as ASCIIMath do not explicitely mark the
operators for easiness of users. And one could try something like

[[partial rho over partial t] = L rho]

In this specific case, there is not ambiguity possible and parser is
not only able to render the equation but could even transform it to
LISP code for simbolic evaluation.

As pointed here, a formulation without :: could be ambiguous for more
generic markup or code, unless using LISP head convention
(operator.arguments). The CanonML code is still shorter than the
LISP-like one (and much more simple than ultraverbose MathML or
OpenMath), but it contains a lot of "::".

Somewhat as some people invented the famous joke acronym "Lots of
Irritating Superfluous Parentheses". I suspect that maybe people would
invent a similar joke for lot of irritants double colons or any.

I recognize that this is a very difficult task (to try to offer the
best of XML, LISP, and TeX in a single approach) but has anyone some
idea about this? I have revised many approaches and either are no
popular (e.g. prefix notation) or are valid for a specific niche (e.g.
TeX for printing). I simply do not know how continuing beyond the ::
notation. Maybe it is a kind of limit for this approach.

Juan R.

Center for CANONICAL |SCIENCE)

.

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