[Python-Dev] Re: PEP 218 (sets); moving set.py to Lib

[Eric S. Raymond]

Greg Ewing <greg@cosc.canterbury.ac.nz>:
> > The | & one is distinctly less common than either, at least among
> > mathematicians; I think EEs and suchlike may use it more than we do.
> 
> I'm surprised that mathematicians use | and & at all. I had always
> assumed that these were invented by the programming community, being
> available ASCII characters used in programming languages, and that
> mathematicians wouldn't ever use them if they had a choice. But maybe
> I'm wrong!

Your post crossed one of mine in which, on reflection, I said I'd never
seen a mathematician use these.  Not even me, not when I'm doing math
anyway.  I still think in Birkhoff's lattice-theory notation.

Nevertheless I'm quite comfortable with | & when programming.
-- 
		<a href="http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/">Eric S. Raymond</a>