Re: [Maxima-discuss] indexes and summation conventions / subscripts etc

[Robert D. <rob...@gm...>]

On 2015-12-16, Richard Fateman <fa...@be...> wrote:

> the notation for differentiation  as   f'(x),  f''(x)   or totally 
> bizarrely    d^2f(x)/d^2x  or  f with dots above,
> or d_x{f}  etc ..
>   could also be used,
>
> but we use diff(f(x),x,2)

Well, this is actually analogous to what I'm proposing with generalized
subscripts, right? The user enters an unambiguous, clunky notation,
which is displayed in a "nice" (according to somebody) way by the
pretty printer. 

> The Einstein convention may be handy, and it may have been more-or-less
> reasonably implemented in Maxima programs

Well, if it's clumsy, confusing, ugly, etc -- don't use it. The index
stuff (at least in the form I'm proposing) doesn't change any existing
stuff.

> should not be used by (physicists?) to insist that programmers should
>   hack endlessly on the program.

Needless to say, we're all volunteers here, and if someone wants to work
on goofy display stuff, why should we stop them? Nobody's forcing
anybody to do anything. 

best

Robert Dodier