Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!gatech!ken
From: ken@gatech.edu (Ken Seefried III)
Newsgroups: comp.dsp
Subject: Re: Communicating DSP Equations
Message-ID: <19241@gatech.edu>
Date: 25 Sep 89 01:55:29 GMT
References:  <1989Sep20.195449.3833x@ivucsb.sba.ca.us> <7070001@hpnmdla.HP.COM> <459@eedsp.gatech.edu> <668@suntops.Tops.Sun.COM> <19237@gatech.edu> <34990@apple.Apple.COM>
Reply-To: ken@gatech.UUCP (Ken Seefried III)
Organization: Ma Tech's House of Horror
Lines: 56

In article <34990@apple.Apple.COM> malcolm@Apple.COM (Malcolm Slaney) writes:
>
>I think Mathematica notebooks are a better medium for distributing signal
>processing ideas.  While it is true that Mathematica's notation is a bit 
>baroque the advantage of having runnable code with graphics and text is
>pretty important.  
>

Yes...but the disadvantage of having to pay a not-so-small fortune to
get a copy of Mathematics is pretty important, too...

Not to mention the fact that Mathematica is availible on a relatively
small subset of computers (roughly 25 makes, no?).

Then, of course, is the fact that most readers probably have neither
Mathematica nor reader software.

>
>It is important to note, also, that Mathematica notebooks are straight ASCII
>text.  This makes them very digestible by bulletin board software.  In addition
>a free Mathematica notebook reader is available for the Mac (so you can see
>the graphics) (and I guess the NeXT too :-).  On other machines (PCs, Suns, 
>etc) the notebooks can be read and used for new work but all the benefits of
>a notebook aren't available, yet.
>

Ummm...last time I checked, TeX was straight ascii also.  Plus, I can run
TeX and get output from IBM VM/CMS, CDC Cyber NOS/VE, DEC TOPS-10/20, Amiga,
Atari-ST...on and on.

>
>TeX and even Troff are wonderful pieces of software but they only solve part 
>of the problem.  Computers give us the ability to interact with our 
>environment so why should we be stuck with static papers?
>

Sure they only solve some of the problem, the part of the problem that we
are discussing: how to communicate effectively on charater terminals
mathematical equations.

Now if all of us...most of us...well, even a few of us had
Mathematica, we'd be all set.  However, the vast majority don't (and
I'm not whining cause I don't have it...we have NeXT machines all
over campus).  Without Mathematica the notebooks aren't that useful
to the majority of readers.

With TeX, however, a vastly greater percentage of comp.dsp's readership
will be able read the equation on the screen, and print off a reasonably
good copy of it.  Sure, we won't be able to run it, or generate graphics
from it, etc., but it will still be useful to us.

Now mind you...I'm not trying to rain on your parade.  Mathematica is
wonderful stuff.  However, in TeX we have a common denominator that
will benefit the maximum number of users...

	...ken