[Numpy-discussion] [Python-3000] PEP 31XX: A Type Hierarchy for Numbers (and other algebraic entities)

[Guido van Rossum]

On 4/25/07, Collin Winter <collinw at gmail.com> wrote:
> The following things mean absolutely nothing to me:
>
> - Monoid
> - MonoidUnderPlus
> - Group
> - Ring
> - Semiring
> - Field
>
> So, most of the terminology in the PEP.
>
> I can see use-cases for this level of formalism, but I'm a strong -1
> on making any part of the stdlib effectively off-limits for people
> without advanced math degrees. Why can't this be shipped as a
> third-party module?

As a math major I have no excuse, but I have to confess I'm also
really rusty on these things. (Nothing a quick look at wikipedia can't
refresh though.)

Jeffrey, is there any way you can drop the top of the tree and going
straight from Number to Complex -> Real -> Rational -> Integer? These
are the things that everyone with high school math will know.

-- 
--Guido van Rossum (home page: http://www.python.org/~guido/)