Re: [zzdev] Mark-Jason's Question about attributes

[Ted Nelson <ted@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Another good one!

Both solutions are fine, but the second works better
 than you think.

>Solution 2: Make a new `d.sex' dimension.
>	    Make a `male' cell and a `female' cell
>	    Link the people cells +d.sexward to either the male or
>	    female cell, as appropriate.
>
>	    But wait---you can't link two different cells to `male'
>	    in the +d.sex dimension.

Sure you can!  Just make the "male" cell the negative endcell
 (headcell).  ("Jump to headcell" is one of those unimplemented
 items from the original design that haven't even made it to the
 current wish list.)

That means you have a chain of males (chain male !-)
 but that's close to the spirit of ZigZag.

>	    Ah, but you can, as long as the link is only one way.
>
>	    So `Homer' is linked +d.sexwards to `male',
>	    but `male' is *not* linked -d.sexwards to `Homer'.
>
>	    Advantage: No clones.
>	    Disadvantage: Can't go backwards.

Nope nope nope.  It is a key rule of the cosmology
 that all links are 2-way.  Wouldn't be ZigZag.

======================================
Key law of ZigZag Cosmology: 
The blessing of having principled 2-way links at all times
 outweighs the local inconveniences.   
(I just made that law up, but it's the  fundamental idea.)
You can map everything cleanly to ZigZag, but that goes
 away if you make cosmological exceptions.
======================================

Best, T


At 10:49 PM 10/27/98 -0500, you wrote:
>
>
>Suppose I have a whole bunch of cells, one for each person on The Simpsons.
>I want to attach information to each cell to show whether each person
>is male or female.
>
>Solution 1: Make a new `d.sex' dimension.
>            Make a `male' cell and a `female' cell.
>            Link the people cells +d.sexward to  clones of `male' and
>	    `female', as appropriate.
>
>	    Disadvantage:  Many silly clones.
>
>	    Advantage: We can find all the male people by starting at
>	    the master `male' cell, travelling some distance +d.clonewards,
>            and then one cell -d.sexwards.
>
>Solution 2: Make a new `d.sex' dimension.
>	    Make a `male' cell and a `female' cell
>	    Link the people cells +d.sexward to either the male or
>	    female cell, as appropriate.
>
>	    But wait---you can't link two different cells to `male'
>	    in the +d.sex dimension.
>
>	    Ah, but you can, as long as the link is only one way.
>
>	    So `Homer' is linked +d.sexwards to `male',
>	    but `male' is *not* linked -d.sexwards to `Homer'.
>
>	    Advantage: No clones.
>	    Disadvantage: Can't go backwards.
>
>
>I just  realized I forgot to ask the question.  Please make up some
>appropriate question and answer it.
>
>Mark-Jason Dominus 	  			               mjd@xxxxxxxxxx
>
>
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