[Python-Dev] (Don't Read If You're Busy With 2.1b2) "Rich" Comparisons?

[Eric S. Raymond]

Tim Peters <tim.one@home.com>:
> [Moshe]
> > The mathematical definition for max() I learned in Calculus 101 was
> > "the smallest element which is > then all arguments"
> 
> Then I guess American and Dutch calculus are different.  Assuming you meant
> to type >=, that's the definition of what we called the "least upper bound"
> (or "lub") or "supremum" (or "sup"); and what I suppose you call "min" we
> called "greatest lower bound" (or "glb") or "infimum".  I've never before
> heard max or min used for these.  In lattices, a glb operator is often called
> "meet" and a lub operator "join", but again I don't think I've ever seen them
> called max or min.

Eric, speaking as a defrocked mathematician who was at one time rather
intimate with lattice theory, concurs.  However, Tim, I suspect you
will shortly discover that Moshe ain't Dutch.  I didn't ask and I
could be wrong, but at PC9 Moshe's accent and body language fairly
shouted "Israeli" at me.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>

[President Clinton] boasts about 186,000 people denied firearms under
the Brady Law rules.  The Brady Law has been in force for three years.  In
that time, they have prosecuted seven people and put three of them in
prison.  You know, the President has entertained more felons than that at
fundraising coffees in the White House, for Pete's sake."
	-- Charlton Heston, FOX News Sunday, 18 May 1997