wu :: forums - Print Page


    
      
        wu :: forums
        (http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~wwu/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi)
      

        riddles >> general problem-solving / chatting / whatever >> what makes a sequence a sequence?
        
(Message started by: Noke Lieu on Dec 7^th, 2008, 6:28pm)

Title: what makes a sequence a sequence?
Post by Noke Lieu on Dec 7^th, 2008, 6:28pm

I recently ventured/posed a question, and I like it.

Thought you might too.

We all know the sequence O T T F F S S E..., right?
What about U D T T Q C S S H...?
The same thing but in French (or spanish or portuguese...)
But are the two sequences equivalent?

The immediate answer is NO.
That's only if you consider the words to be distinct from each other- ultimately the words are just a way of discribing the same concept, independent of the language being used.

(that being said I really should read a paper that's been on my desk for years about the Worfian hypothesis before I venture that again).

Title: Re: what makes a sequence a sequence?
Post by towr on Dec 8^th, 2008, 12:34am

I'd say they're two different sequences with a one-to-one transformation between them.

There's also the issue that they're letter sequences, not concept sequences. You can't take the first letter of a concept, because they don't have letters.

Title: Re: what makes a sequence a sequence?
Post by Noke Lieu on Dec 8^th, 2008, 4:00am

that puts that to bed then... :D Will have to try harder to get a nice curly question...

Title: Re: what makes a sequence a sequence?
Post by Grimbal on Dec 8^th, 2008, 6:26am

on 12/07/08 at 18:28:48, Noke Lieu wrote:

What about U D T T Q C S S H...?

un, deux, trois, trois et demi, quatre, cinq, ... :P