#! rnews 1312Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!dcl-cs!strath-cs!jmlFrom: jml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Joseph McLean)Newsgroups: sci.mathSubject: the extendability of digit sequences into primesMessage-ID: <753@stracs.cs.strath.ac.uk>Date: 2 Dec 87 10:36:33 GMTReply-To: jml@cs.strath.ac.uk (Joseph McLean)Organization: Comp. Sci. Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Scotland.Lines: 19Is the following conjecture reasonable and/or provable? :Given a sequence of digits, starting with a non-zero digit, of arbitrarybut finite length, is it always possible to extend this sequence byappending more digits, in such a way as to form a prime?e.g. the sequence 1 can be extended into a prime in an infinite numberof ways, as in 13, 17, 19, 101, 1231, 1579, etc (there an infinitenumber of primes beginning with a 1 by Bertrand's postulate).However, it is far more difficult to try and locate a prime whichstarts with the sequence 1528296922945708 (although at least one is known).My personal opinion is that the conjecture is reasonable, simply becauseone can keep adding digits at the end and checking for primality adinfinitum, and the law of averages will do the rest. Of course this istotally groundless mathematically, so can anyone provide a heuristicargument with more weight?        jml, the mad mathematician.#! rnews 3077Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!husc6!psuvax1!burdvax!bigburd!fritzsonFrom: fritzson@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM (Richard Fritzson)Newsgroups: comp.editorsSubject: Re: lisp environments (Structure vs. text editors)Message-ID: <3375@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COM>Date: 14 Dec 87 02:11:18 GMTReferences: <487@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> <460@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> <499@PT.CS.CMU.EDU>Sender: news@bigburd.PRC.Unisys.COMOrganization: Unisys Corporation, Paoli Research Center; Paoli, PALines: 56In article <499@PT.CS.CMU.EDU> ralphw@IUS2.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralph Hyre) writes:>In article <460@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> pds@quintus.UUCP (Peter Schachte) writes:>>Text editors CANNOT simulate structure editors.  They can do a rather>>feeble job of it.  Text editors fall down when context information is>>I disagree - a PROGRAMMABLE text editor can do anything you want.  This is>because it's programmable.  Whether you're happy with the performance or aSure it can do anything. The best way for a programmable text editor tosimulate a structure editor would be for it to build an internal representation (or structure) or what was really being edited and then use its text manipulating primitives to show the user the effect of his editing commands on the structure that is "really" being edited. Now you'veshown that mocklisp (for example) is a language in which you can implementa structure editor. I doubt if it is the best way to do it though.>>...For example:  a structure editor can supply different commands, different>>facilities, for editing comments and code.>Seems like there's the potential here for moby modefulness.  I can't see>why I would want different commands when I edit code compared with comments.I don't know about "commands", but Common Lisp comments are nothinglike Common Lisp code (much to the shame of Common Lisp). I want thecharacters I type in as comments treated differently than those I type in as parts of S-expressions.>My interest is in an pseudo-WYSIWYG editor which gives you the option>of entering/editing text without formatting attributes, then optionally >displaying the text with them. <...>This sort of decoupling between editing a>document and a representation of a document could even be used to great>advantage in many environments:You're right. An editor which is really editing the structure underlyingthe visual presentation of it IS a useful thing. >	A program code editor might actually be showing you variable names,>	statements, and S-expressions while it is really writing the P-code>	(or .lbin file) on the fly.>	This could result in 'instant' language interpreter facilities and >	fast compilers.>	[I admit that this might be hairy to program in MockLisp.]But it is one of the reasons Xerox structure editor fans are fans.>[disclaimer: I've never used a 'structure editor' No offense intended, but I could tell. If you write any Lisp you shouldlook for an opportunity to try SEdit on a D-machine.-- 	-Rich Fritzson	 ARPA: fritzson@prc.unisys.com	 UUCP: {sdcrdcf,psuvax1,cbmvax}!burdvax!fritzson#! rnews 3135Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!ames!sdcsvax!sdcc6!loral!dmlFrom: dml@loral.UUCP (Dave Lewis)Newsgroups: rec.arts.moviesSubject: Re: Live Action Amber FilmsSummary: Use Zelazny's descriptions!Message-ID: <1496@loral.UUCP>Date: 14 Dec 87 06:41:04 GMTReferences: <349@morningdew.BBN.COM> <2620001@hpcvlx.HP.COM>Reply-To: dml@loral.UUCP (Dave Lewis)Followup-To: rec.arts.moviesDistribution: naOrganization: Loral Instrumentation, San DiegoLines: 59In article <2620001@hpcvlx.HP.COM> markc@hpcvlx.HP.COM (Mark Cook) writes:>>/ hpcvlx:rec.arts.movies / dkovar@lf-server-2.BBN.COM (David Kovar) /  7:07 am  Dec  9, 1987 />>>>  Well, someone else was wondering who would be the actors in a Tolkien>>film which brought to mind a favorite question of mine from a few years>>back: Who would play the parts of a Amber film? I used to have the>>Corwin: Mel GibsonJonathan Pryce. From "Something Wicked This Way Comes".>  even better, how about Timothy Dalton (James Bond isn't the only thing he>>Brand: (Who's the guy from Kiss who was in Runaway?)>  You mean Gene Simmons.  Well, he could play the part but he has to look like  No way. Brand is "a figure both like Bleys and myself. My features, thoughsmaller, my eyes, Bleys' hair. There was a quality of both strength and weak-ness, questing and abandonment about him." This is Corwin speaking, of course.  And Bleys is "a fiery bearded, flame-crowned man, dressed all in red andorange, mainly of silk stuff, and he held a sword in his right hand and aglass of wine in his left, and the devil himself danced behind his eyes, asblue as Flora's, or Eric's. His chin was slight, but the beard covered it."  I can't think of anyone offhand for either part, but I nominate Gene Simmonsto play Caine: "Then came the swarthy, dark-eyed countenance of Caine, dressedall in satin that was black and green, wearing a dark three-cornered hat setat a rakish angle, a green plume of feathers trailing down the back." (Yeah,I got "Nine Princes in Amber" lying right next to the keyboard here)  Random: "a wily-looking little man, with a sharp nose and a laughing mouthand a shock of straw-colored hair." How about Dudley Moore (with his hairbleached, of course).  Dierdre: "a black-haired girl with [Flora's] blue eyes, and her hair hunglong and she was dressed all in black, with a girdle of silver about herwaist." Lee Meriwether or Kate Jackson.  Fiona: "with hair like Bleys or Brand, [Corwin's] eyes, and a complexionlike mother of pearl.  Ann-Margret!  That's all for now; if people are interested I can type in the whole 2-1/2pages of descriptions so we'll REALLY have something to argue over.-------------------------------          Dave Lewis    Loral Instrumentation   San Diego  hp-sdd --\     ihnp4 --\  sdcrdcf --\      bang --\   kontron -\  csndvax ---\   calmasd -->-->!crash --\  celerity --->------->!sdcsvax!sdcc3 --->--->!loral!dml  (uucp)  dcdwest ---/                 gould9 --/  "I'm alive and he's dead and that's the way I wanted it."   -- Corwin, about Borel-------------------------------#! rnews 2421Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!dcl-cs!strath-cs!jimFrom: jim@cs.strath.ac.uk (Jim Reid)Newsgroups: comp.mail.headersSubject: Re: RFC976 vs. the real world...Message-ID: <754@stracs.cs.strath.ac.uk>Date: 2 Dec 87 12:51:51 GMTReferences: <18533@amdahl.amdahl.com>Reply-To: jim@cs.strath.ac.ukOrganization: Comp. Sci. Dept., Strathclyde Univ., Scotland.Lines: 40In article <18533@amdahl.amdahl.com> tron@uts.amdahl.com (Ronald S. Karr) writes:>Some Introduction:>However, we have conflicting ideas concerning what to do with sender>addresses in headers.  We do, now, support the idea that a pure !-path>coming in can be left as a !-path, with the current hostname prepended>(this is optional and is a function of the destination).  However,>should I ever produce, in mail originated locally, a From: line in the>following form?>>	From: localhost!usernameThe answer is perhaps. In an ideal world, everyone will adhere to onestandard for mail headers - RFC822 possibly, but X.400 is more likely.Until that glorious day arrives (if it ever does), mailers at the mail'gateways' between networks will have little option but to mungeaddresses because of incompatible mail headers and addressing formats.What you mail system should do is rewrite mail headers into theappropriate form for transmission to a given host. In short, if youruucp neighbours only understand bang-style addresses, you mailer shouldonly present bang-style paths to these sites. If some sites understandRFC822 (user@host.domain), then you should send them RFC822 style mail.What would be less easy for the mailer is separating your bang-stlyeuucp neighbours from those who understand RFC822.The best mailers (MMDF or sendmail - no flames please!) take an inputaddress, convert it to a canonical form and then rewrite the address inthe appropriate style for the message transfer agent. This is the mostsensible way of dealing with hybrid addresses like A!B@C. [Does thatmean send by uucp to A for relaying to user B on host C or does it meansend to C for them to relay to user B on uucp host A? Then what if C(or A) doesn't like addresses with '!' (or '@') signs in them?]		Jim-- ARPA:	jim%cs.strath.ac.uk@ucl-cs.arpa, jim@cs.strath.ac.ukUUCP:	jim@strath-cs.uucp, ...!seismo!mcvax!ukc!strath-cs!jimJANET:	jim@uk.ac.strath.cs"JANET domain ordering is swapped around so's there'd be some use for rev(1)!"#! rnews 3873Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!umd5!ames!sdcsvax!sdcc6!loral!dmlFrom: dml@loral.UUCP (Dave Lewis)Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-loversSubject: Re: One more long-gone showSummary: What S. F. movies should beKeywords: QuestorMessage-ID: <1497@loral.UUCP>Date: 14 Dec 87 06:45:22 GMTReferences: <1672@bsu-cs.UUCP>Reply-To: dml@loral.UUCP (Dave Lewis)Followup-To: rec.arts.sf-loversDistribution: naOrganization: Loral Instrumentation, San DiegoLines: 64In article <1672@bsu-cs.UUCP> cfchiesa@bsu-cs.UUCP (Christopher F. Chiesa) writes:>Anyone remember a movie called _The_Questor_Tapes_ ?  Basic premise: gov't>project constructs an android according to eccentric scientist's specs; and->C.Chiesa  Yea, verily, I recall The Questor Tapes. I've forgotten the scientist'sname, but he was a very rich and secretive genius known for several majoradvances in robotics and cybernetics. About 2 years previous to the startof the movie, he had disappeared, leaving only a partially completed projecthe called Questor. Much of the work was complete, including a small fusionreactor, most of the brain, and a lot of the support machinery. He also lefta BIG mag tape of programs, which some government idiot had partially erasedwhile trying to decode it. Questor, when activated, did nothing; the teamthat assembled him figured it was because of the bad tape.  Late that night, Questor got up, used the 'finishing' molds to give himselfhuman features, and walked out. The scientist had known one member of theQuestor-assembly team and put his name and address on the program tape; bygood fortune it had survived the attempted decoding. Questor knows only thathe must find `a boat' -- other details have been erased.  The government catches up with them in a playground and some fool shootsQuestor. Apparently the shock knocks some bits loose because when he seesa jungle gym that looks like Noah's Ark he remembers, "the boat, the boatof legend. [whatsisname] is waiting for me there." He also remembers thatif he doesn't find the scientist within about two days, his fusion powersupply is programmed to overload and blow up.  They patch him up and he leads them a merry chase to Mt. Ararat where hefinds his creator in a cave hidden by a force barrier/hologram projection.There is a long row of metallic slabs suspended about a meter above thefloor; on each lies a defunct robot. Each one wears clothing from a timefar earlier than the next. Questor's creator lies on the second to lastslab, still conscious but unable to move.  These robots have been watching over the human race for more than tenthousand years. Each one lasts two hundred years, then builds his successor.Questor's predecessor was brought to an early end by some combination ofpollution and radiation exposure; he has provided Questor with extrashielding so he will last the full two centuries.  Questor is the last. By the end of his term, the human race will havereached a point where we can make our own decisions without guidance.The robots were placed here by some advanced aliens to see us through ourracial childhood, to allow us a chance to mature and achieve whateverpotential we have.  The Questor Tapes was an excellent movie, one makers of more recent filmsshould take a lesson from. Very few other movies have impressed me as muchas "2001: A Space Odyssey" and "The Questor Tapes". They show up the likesof"Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T." for the vapid sillinessthey are.-------------------------------          Dave Lewis    Loral Instrumentation   San Diego  hp-sdd --\     ihnp4 --\  sdcrdcf --\      bang --\   kontron -\  csndvax ---\   calmasd -->-->!crash --\  celerity --->------->!sdcsvax!sdcc3 --->--->!loral!dml  (uucp)  dcdwest ---/                 gould9 --/-------------------------------#! rnews 1384Path: alberta!mnetor!uunet!mcvax!ukc!its63b!hwcs!jackFrom: jack@cs.hw.ac.uk (Jack Campin)Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf-loversSubject: Re: M. John HarrisonMessage-ID: <1560@brahma.cs.hw.ac.uk>