[Edu-sig] Re: Lisp vs Scheme vs Python

[Kirby Urner]

>Convenient with fractals, sure, but why necessary?  What stack management?
>Just iterate by adding 1 and multiply the growing product until 
>term = n.
>
>The model in mathematics, for fractals, is akin to SIGMA notation,
>except using the capital letter PI, which means multiply terms 
>together vs. add them.  So:

Duh -- I wrote *fractal* and was thinking of *factorial* the whole
time.  Silly brain (knock knock -- wake up!).

True enough, when I did my lsystems.py (not completely finished),
recursion was key, e.g.:

  def iterate(n,axiom,rules):
      if n>0:
         axiom = produce(axiom,rules)
         print "Iteration count-down %s" % n
         return iterate(n-1,axiom,rules)
      else: return axiom

So, re *factorial* (I should have said), there's no need to go
the recursive route.  Please make the appropriate substitutions.

And now I understand what you meant by Guido and stack management
-- yes, when using recursion, I rely on whatever language 
implementation to keep track of the process.

Kirby