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This whole subthread was about what comes as a natural procedure to humans. Arguing that computers may need a different process is moot. Anyway, to handle the
by TuringTest 6y ago
This whole subthread was about what comes as a natural procedure to humans. Arguing that computers may need a different process is moot.
Anyway, to handle the exception, you could start the algorithm with a "check for the empty collection" base case; that would make it a natural definition for a computational recursive definition as well.
- nybble41 6y agoMy point was that the natural procedure for computers is also more natural for humans, since it involves fewer special cases. Humans are better than computers at dealing with ad-hoc special cases but that doesn't make them natural.
- TuringTest 6y agoHaving fewer special cases doesn't make it more natural, when those special cases are intuitive and forcing a single homogeneous process feels weird. The brain is very good at finding patterns for special cases and very bad at following repetitive orders.