[plt-scheme] Re: Why "lambda"?

On Sat, May 30, 2009 at 09:38:49PM -0400, Marco Morazan wrote:
> > (and he sets alot of them), and that some of the problems might appear
> > to stretch the student beyond the material he has learnt, but then I
> > self-taught with the book and thats where a lecturer would step in.
> 
> Ok, I guess I will chime in at this point. I feel rather uncomfortable
> with the notion that using alpha and beta are more complex than using
> A and B. Frankly, we can use two different squiggly lines as far as I
> am concerned.

Two points here.

First, the use of familiar squiggly lines is easier than unfamiliar 
ones.  And so there is advantage in using familiar ones as well as 
advantage in making common unfamiliar ones become familiar.

Second, knowing how to pronounce the squiggly lines helps, 
except maybe for those whose linguistic cognition is purely visual.

-- hendrik

> The simple fact is that the use of a variable is a form
> of (low-level) abstraction. Who cares if the symbol used for the
> variable representing the abstraction is latin, greek, russian, or
> mayan? If you understand the abstraction it does not matter, period.

Except maybe for the extra effort in recognising when the same 
unfamiliar symbol is used.

-- hendrik