More general extension files

[franktaw at netscape.net]

The b file format might be generalized to allow direct presentation of 
some things that are only indirectly present in the OEIS.  The idea is 
to generalize the "index value" pairs to include keys (indices) and/or 
values that are not integers.  This could include:

1) Values that are rational numbers a/b, where the a's and b's form two 
sequences in the database.
2a) Keys a,b for tables, especially irregular tables.
2b) Instead or in addition, values containing an entire row of a table.
3) Values a+bi for Gaussian integers, where the a's and b's form two 
sequences in the database.
4) Keys showing the partition for functions defined on partitions.

I'm sure that there are other possibilities.

The main problem is that these files, unlike the b files, will no 
longer have a one-to-one correspondence with sequences.  Some will 
correspond with more than one sequence, and some sequences will 
correspond with more than one file.  (For example, A076512 is the 
denominators of one sequence of fractions, and the numerators of 
another.)

Listing the associated sequences on the first line of the file will 
take care of half the problem.  For the other half, perhaps numbers can 
be assigned arbitrarily (c000001.txt, etc.).

All of this assumes that somebody is both able and willing to do the 
necessary work, of course.

Franklin T. Adams-Watters

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