# Proposal: s1.intersects(s2)

OKB (not okblacke) brenNOSPAMbarn at NObrenSPAMbarn.net
Thu Jul 5 19:48:23 CEST 2007

```Steven D'Aprano wrote:

> Just because I've never come across it doesn't mean it exists, so
> I'd be grateful for any reference to a technical definition, or
> even references to any mathematician using intersect as a verb in a
> vigorous, non-hand-waving way. Here's a link to get you started:

Here ( http://arxiv.org/PS_cache/math/pdf/0702/0702029v1.pdf )is a
Russian math text (in English) which says:

"If A \cap B 6 = \emptyset, then we say that the sets A and B do
intersect. Otherwise, if A \cap B = \emptyset, then we say that these
sets do not intersect."

Here (
http://www.tcs.ifi.lmu.de/~fischerf/publications/bfh_tark07.pdf ) is a
math paper which says:

"Sets that are disjoint in the diagram may have an empty
intersection, i.e., there exist instances where these sets do not
intersect."

A simple Google search will also turn up numerous uses of the
phrase "non-intersecting sets", which would seem to be parallel (i.e.,
people are not bending over backwards to say "disjoint sets" or "sets
with empty intersection").

--
--OKB (not okblacke)
Brendan Barnwell