Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!sharkey!atanasoff!mehl
From: mehl@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Mark M Mehl)
Newsgroups: news.groups
Subject: Re: CALL FOR DISCUSSION: comp.math and comp.stat
Message-ID: <2066@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu>
Date: 3 Dec 89 02:57:45 GMT
References: <8911281924.AA15699@ncar.UCAR.EDU> <551@tauceti.Morgan.COM>
Reply-To: mehl@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu
Organization: Dept of EE/CprE -- IOWA STATE UNIV
Lines: 34

amull@Morgan.COM (Andrew P. Mullhaupt) writes:
>The proposal for comp.math seems to address issues already dealt with
>by the existence of sci.math.num-analysis and sci.math.symbolic. What
>do we need comp.math for that we don't get from these already?

I agree 100%.  Discussions about LINPAK or ODEPACK should be held in
sci.math.num-analysis.  If this group needs to be split so as to
"attempt" to separate the theoretical issues from the programming
issues, then a new group like sci.math.num-analysis.software (or
s.m.n-a.theory) should be created.  This hierarchical nomenclature also
simplifies the initialization file for the nn newreader (~/.nn/init)
because the nn user simply has to include:

  sequence
    sci.math.num-analysis

to read all sci.math.n-a.*.* groups in that hierarchy.

The same argument holds for the proposed comp.stat news group.  I think
a separate news group to discuss statistical software would be useful,
but name it:  sci.math.stat.software (or s.m.s.num-analysis.software).
This would be the place to hold discussions about BMDP, SAS, and
SPSSX.

Most of the groups in the comp.* hierarchy are directed towards
computer science and computer engineering theory and practice.
Discussions about numerical methods (and its practice) most
appropriately belong under a math hierarchy rather than a computer
hierarchy.
-- 
 /\ Mark M Mehl, alias Superticker (Supertickler to some)
<><> Internet: mehl@atanasoff.cs.IAstate.edu
 \/ UUCP: {{mailrus,umix}!sharkey,hplabs!hp-lsd,uunet}!atanasoff!mehl
Disclaimer: You got to be kidding; who would want to claim anything I said?


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