3 ms·

I don't know... I'm taking a theory of computability class right now and I'm sure glad that the pumping lemma for regular languages is called "the pumping lemma

• jimbokun 11y ago
  But isn't that an attempt at a "descriptive" name? The intuition for the person who discovered this lemma, clearly envisioned the underlying process as a device pumping out new strings belonging to the language.
  • techman9 11y ago
    I like to imagine they envisioned the strings themselves being "pumped" up by inserting new characters in the center.
  • VLM 11y ago
    I took a brick and mortar automata class a long time ago and a classmate who clearly wasn't reading the text before lecture, insisted the prof called it the "plumping lemma" because it was about growing wider strings. That might have been the only funny thing that ever happened in automata class, unfortunately. Education by satire / humor is a sadly under-explored field. "A satirical approach to linear algebra"... not sure if I'd kickstart support that, or turn around and start running. In the eternal spirit of "anything that sounds interesting and impossible is a great startup opportunity" I propose that someone ... etc etc, you know.
    • techman9 11y ago
      My professor has had some quality quotes this quarter: "Misspell Chomsky's name as Chompsky, and I'll give you a pass; Misspell Turing as Turning or something? I'll flunk you"