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\F2\CARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY
\CCOMPUTER SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
\CSTANFORD UNIVERSITY
\CSTANFORD, CALIFORNIA 94305
\F0

\CApril 9, 1973



Professor Martin H. Schultz, Chairman
Computer Science Department
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut  06520


Dear Professor Schultz:

\J	Unfortunately, my interest in the subjects about which Peter Weiner has
published is insufficient to warrant making the comparisons you request.  Moreover,
I don't know enough to do so.

	I think there is a slight misunderstanding between you and him about this.
My contact with Professor Weiner has been in connection with my effort to get a
suitable display system first at M.I.T. and now at Stanford.  After a rather
thorough investigation of what was on the market, I came to the conclusion that
the best thing to do was to copy Weiner's system, and M.I.T. is now doing that
(albeit on a much smaller scale than I had hoped), and Stanford will do it as
soon as we can raise the money.

	In my opinion, this work represents an excellent piece of system design
taking into account the present state of technology.  On the other hand, given
the idea, there is no difficulty in its execution and so no opportunity for
virtuoso engineering.  To me this is one of its chief attractions.

	I am sorry that I am unable to make the comparisons you request, and
let me assure you that it is out of simple unfamiliarity rather than a fear that
I would have something unfavorable to say.

	With regard to the relevance of automata theory and mathematical theory
of computation, I have long been dubious about automata theory and enthusiastic
about mathematical theory of computation.  It is absolutely clear that the ability
to prove correctness assertions about individual programs is a central task of
computer science.  I believe that Floyd, Manna, Burstall, Scott, and I and many
others have all made substantial contributions to this work.  It now turns out
that automata theory has more to contribute than I would have suspected.\. 


					Sincerely yours,



					John McCarthy
					Professor of Computer Science
					Director, Artificial Intelligence Laboratory