Editorial

Mankind only sets itself such problems as it can solve; since, looking at the matter more closely, it will always be found that the task itself arises only when the material conditions for its solution already exist or are at least in the process of formation.
Karl Marx, A Contribution to the Critique of Political Economy(1859)

OK so I stole the above quote form the preface to David Lewis-Williams - The Mind in the Cave(2002). In this book the author seeks a methodology for analysing palaeolithic art.

In putting together this issue the quotation seemed to be appropriate where the material conditions exist for Robert Pullman to employ “Notation as a tool for proof”; Dan Baronet to use APL as “A tool for thought”; and Brian Becker to give us “One reason APL is cool” in their respective articles.

Then for material conditions in the process of formation there is Stephen Taylor’s article “Impending kOS” in which he recounts Arthur Whitney and his team‘s progress towards kOS.

Later, at the August meeting of BAA London, Stephen Taylor remarked that his current apprentice Dhrusham Patel, had in his debut article “Table Diff” found himself modifying his examples to clarify his thoughts for the reader.

This year is the thirtieth since the first publication of Vector and I should like to mark this in some way in the next issue. To this end I would welcome any suggestions, anecdotes, photographs or whatever.

Earlier this year at the AGM in May there was a suggestion that Vector should publish a section of useful links to resources and material of general interest to the APL community. Here again I would like to invite suggestions.

John Jacob