Re: Integers

[Chris Handley <CHandley@GANDALF.OTAGO.AC.NZ>]

More comments
>Comments on some of the comments:
>
> > >milna'u         mulno namcu     integer (whole-number)
> >
> > copies the common metaphor.  But the significance of that metaphor
> > is lost to most people - it is I think the contrast with fractional
> > hence perhaps no'e frinu namcu (they aren't really non-fractional
> > since they can be expressed fractionally) or na'e pagbu namcu
>
>
> Please, not {no'e frinu}. That can be nothing but irrational, i.e.
>non-rational, not a fraction.
>
> And how is {na'e pagbu} clearer than {mulno} ?

As far as most ordinary people are concerned, integers are much the same as
counting numbers. I realise this has problems with zero and the negatives,
but a metaphor including counting would probably be pretty clear.


======================================================================
Chris Handley                                     chandley@otago.ac.nz
Dept of Computer Science                       Ph     (+64) 3-479-8499
University of Otago                           Fax     (+64) 3-479-8577
Dunedin, NZ
______________________________________________________________________
              There are three types of Computer Scientist:
                those who can count and those who can't.