new keyword: probation

[Creighton Dement]

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> Date: Tue, 14 Mar 2006 15:58:06 +0100
> Subject: Re: Re : new keyword: probation
> From: Joerg Arndt <arndt at jjj.de>
> To: zak seidov <zakseidov at yahoo.com>

> * zak seidov <zakseidov at yahoo.com> [Mar 14. 2006 13:06]:
> > 
> > 1. sorry for typo:
> > 
> > >all authors can judge for theseve how to improve
> > >their next submissions.
> > 
> > 'd be:
> > all authors can judge for themselves how to improve
> > their next submissions.
> 
> I am afraid not, cf. author:bagula
> A random take:
> A115514 A modular group root solution based on a Klein two group
> sequentual projection of the tribonacci sequence A000073.
> 
> 
> > 
> > 2. as to (so many) complaints about (so many)
> > uninteresting sequences:
> > there are no uninteresting sequences,
> 
> so lets insert all seqs a(n):=A+B*n for all A,B
> Oh! inifinitely may...
> 
> A seq can only be interesting if somehow connected to
> the existing human (mathematical) knowledge.
> Else we need to have all of them, which (apart from being
> impossible) makes the idea of the OEIS absurd.
> 
> The existence OEIS reflects the fact that amoung the
> inifinitude of seqs only a subset is interesting.
> 
> 
> > there are uninterested people,
> 
> Can you elaborate?
> 

My interpretation of what he means as this:  there are no uninteresting
sequences of integers, there are only people who make uninteresting
comments (including obscure and ultimately useless definitions of
sequences!). That seems like quite a deep thought to me.

I don't entirely agree with your assement that the OEIS  is founded on
the principle that only a finite subset of sequences is interesting,
though I admit it sounded great to me the first time I read it.  That's
because, at least in principle, it certainly would be possible to do the
whole OEIS the other way around, i.e. to begin with entity that would
presumably one day used by just as many people as use it today.
Prerequisite: a huge but finite amount of storage space. 

For example, one could, at least in principle, begin an encyclopedia of
sequences by listing all combinations of numbers with commas between
them which take up 3 lines and then simply allow others to send in
comments to the best of these (anticipated answer from Joerg: OMG!
pretty please, no!  --- so let me say the example I give simply tries to
make this possibilty clear, i.e. it is _not_ an actual suggestion) .  Of
course, using this method would require that some sequences have several
definitions which would cause the numbers to differ sometime after 3
lines- but that is a hardly an unsurmountable problem: simply create
separate entries whenever such a problem arises. 

Now, creating a database of all permuations of letters which take up
about 5 lines and then choosing the best of these as your comment to a
given sequence... that would be bad idea. 

Sincerely, 
Creighton 

> > otherwise what is celebrated at 100K party -
> > succes or failure?
> 
> We could have had, by your argument, the party
> 5 minutes after starting the OEIS by simply
> entering random data.
> 
> 
> > 
> > All the best, Zak
> > 
> > [...]
> 
> jj