source file: mills2.txt
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 22:07:36 -0700

Subject: THE generating function

From: Mmcky@aol.com

Hi Manuel,

We must be misunderstanding each other.  Let me be more clear about what I
was trying to say by providing a simple example:

Suppose you want to create a function that takes the integers 1, 2, and three
as inputs and gives 5, 7, and 11 and outputs.  Unless my spreadsheet has lead
me totally astray, two simple examples of such functions are f1(n)=n*n-7n+1
and f2(n)=6/x-x+5.  I could provide you with as many more as you would like.

Now to guess what you might be trying to say:

If you analyze a series of integers using some particular method you will get
a particular generating function.

I got my distaste for this kind of phraseology from sweating over those
Junior High School tests that require you to provide the next number in a
series.  Later, I came to realize that there are an infinite number of ways
to analyze any particular set of data, and that this "teaching method" has
more to do with helping the teacher to maintain control of the class than a
real study of methods of analysis, as does much of what is taught in schools.

When it comes to analyzing data, I have found it better not to be so
monoTHEsistic.

Marion


Received: from eartha.mills.edu [144.91.3.20] by vbv40.ezh.nl
           with SMTP-OpenVMS via TCP/IP; Sat, 27 Jul 1996 08:32 +0100
Received: from  by eartha.mills.edu via SMTP (940816.SGI.8.6.9/930416.SGI)
	for <coul@ezh.nl> id XAA15974; Fri, 26 Jul 1996 23:32:14 -0700
Date: Fri, 26 Jul 1996 23:32:14 -0700
Message-Id: <199607270631.AAA04816@freenet.uchsc.EDU>
Errors-To: madole@ella.mills.edu
Reply-To: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Originator: tuning@eartha.mills.edu
Sender: tuning@eartha.mills.edu