perm filename W78.OUT[LET,JMC]1 blob
sn#352467 filedate 1978-05-04 generic text, type T, neo UTF8
∂04-May-78 1527 JMC
To: stefferud at USC-ISI
You may forward it.
∂04-May-78 1335 JMC
To: lankford at USC-ISI
Thanks for your paper "On Semideciding First Order Validity
and Invalidity". I notice that you attribute the use of the
conditional expression as a logical connective to me. The truth
is somewhat more complicated.
I believe that I was the first to introduce conditional
expressions in general as a mathematical construct. However, the
purely logical use of a ternary connective with these properties
occurred earlier. My only knowledge of it is a reference in Church's
"Introduction to Mathematical Logic" which I didn't follow up.
I believe the reference is at the end of one of the chapters and
may be to a mathematician named Nikodym.
∂04-May-78 1238 JMC too many computers
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
I worry that if all plans for acquisition of computers are carried out,
there will be more computers than can be properly maintained in
hardware and software. Consider - AI Lab KL-10 system, AI Lab S-1
system, department 2020, department VAX if they give one to us,
advanced automation 2040. Therefore, we should think twice before
we actually buy more computers. In particular, it may be better
to increase and formalize the Department's share of the KL-10 and
the S-1.
∂04-May-78 1153 JMC
To: bmoore at SRI-KL
They are still pondering your name. The degree certainly must be granted
before you can come to CASBS, but maybe they can't even decide until the
thesis is accepted.
∂04-May-78 1024 JMC reaction
To: stefferud at USC-ISI
CC: pbaran at USC-ISI
There was no threat; it just seemed that people were wasting
each other's time in meta-discussions, and I think Mark was
wasting his time and mine, and I am worried about whether we
will complete Dialnet on time. However, if you like
meta-discussions consider this. The DEC message about the
2020 demonstration was a nuisance. At SU-AI, the main nuisance
was that 19 copies of it, consisting mostly of distribution list,
took up scarce disk space. Nevertheless, the announcement was
appropriate, and, while the audience was somewhat random, it is
probably no more so than the mailing list that brought me a paper
copy of the same announcement. Query: leaving questions peculiar
to ARPANET aside, how should advertising be handled in electronic
mail systems?
∂04-May-78 0048 JMC
To: dcrocker at USC-ISI, stefferud at USC-ISI
I decided I was too harsh. Sorry.
∂04-May-78 0040 JMC
To: DCL
Perhaps unfortunately, perhaps not, my interest in optimal administration
is too limited for that.
∂03-May-78 1855 JMC
To: JC
Many people say that the music programs could be made more efficient.
∂03-May-78 1545 JMC hpm
To: TOB
We are being asked again about HPM's conditional on the Comprehensive.
It is my guess that he thinks that his opus on Raw Computing Power
should remove that conditional. It is something, but in my opinion
it is too much of an opinion piece, and doesn't demonstrate the
same kind of knowledge of the field as is required. Therefore, I
suggest we ask him to do something else, and my idea is that
we ask him to give a seminar on the ideas and work of David Marr.
We will all benefit from hearing about it, and it overlaps Hans's
own areas of interest. What is your opinion?
∂03-May-78 1513 JMC
To: LES
Suggest we bow to inflation and sell change 50 cents or $1.00 at a time.
∂03-May-78 1345 JMC
To: MRC, dcrocker at USC-ISI, stefferud at USC-ISI
Mark: Please don't forward me any more messages like the latest
from DCROCKER. The world is full of pompous young bureaucrats
and would-be bureaucrats,
expert at thinking of reasons for not doing something, and it
is best to ignore them unless you really need access to some
resource they control.
∂02-May-78 2313 JMC PASCAL at LOTS
To: SSO, JLH, JMB, GIO, DPB, RWF
CC: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, DEK
There seems to be strong sentiment for making PASCAL the language
for the elementary courses. OK, but it must run efficiently. During Winter
Quarter, CS10X used 37 percent of LOTS computer time and 33 percent of
the terminal time. This caused Lieberman to suggest that CS10X go back
to the 370, but this would be much more expensive if on-line access
were to be made possible. Anyway, clearly CS10X cannot double its
use of LOTS, and it would be great if it could halve it by increased
efficiency, since it is the area in which a software success would
have the greatest payoff.
While greater care in making assignments will help, the real
payoff comes from making a better compiler and runtime system. I have
two suggestions:
1. PASCAL compile directly into core.
2. PASCAL use some form of what I like to call microbatch.
Every 20 seconds (say) the student PASCAL compiler compiles all
waiting jobs and runs them. The advantage is that the compiler stays
in memory and moves the much smaller student jobs past it.
∂02-May-78 1921 JMC allocations
To: LES, DCL
CC: JC
The latest accounting results have convinced me that we need to
go to an allocation scheme by groups. Now that we account by
hour of the day, there is no way to avoid the conclusion that
music use is the main cause of overload.
∂02-May-78 1627 JMC Your message
To: thuerk at DEC-MARLBORO
It is nice to know about the 2020 demonstration, but there is some
grumbling here about cluttering our disk with 19 copies of a message
that consists mainly of its list of recipients.
∂02-May-78 1440 JMC
To: nii at SUMEX-AIM
I remain interested in SIGLUNCH.
∂02-May-78 0109 JMC
To: JB
I forget whether we were to meet tomorrow AM, but anyway I can't.
∂01-May-78 2355 JMC
To: MsgGroup at USC-ISI, MRC
CC: LES
I have received a copy of MRC's message without knowing what
preceded it. However, I can say that neither Minsky nor Brian Reid
nor I have been deterred by speculation that Quasar might sue us.
We have stated our opinion that they are fraudulent to any newsmen
that asked (I have talked to more than 20), issued a press release,
and written a joint letter to the Justice Department and the Postal
Inspector. I think someone seems to be frightened of his shadow,
because I know of know case in which a scientist has been sued for
expressing his opinion that something is fraudulent. When Reichelt
gave his spiel at some community college in New Jersey he denounced
me by name according to Bob Smith, but did not threaten suit. According
to Smith, as with the three other groups of eyewitnesses, the fraud
is transparent enough so that Reichelt has no chance of successfully
suing anyone. Moreover, it has never been the custom of carnival
snake oil salesmen to sue their critics. So have no fear.
∂01-May-78 1223 JMC
To: TOB
Is the following message to Ed Feigenbaum factually correct. Are there
details that should be added?
Ed:
This is a proposal that Tom Binford be asked to serve as official
thesis adviser to Richard Arnold, Don Gennery and Ron Goldman.
Their theses are in the area of computer vision in which Tom's
competence has increased as mine has declined. They are all working
on projects in which Tom is the leader and effective principal
investigator. As you remember, we are hoping to regularize the
situation by getting Tom appointed Adjunct Professor in either our
department or Mechanical Engineering in connection with the proposed
Institute of Automation.
∂29-Apr-78 1213 JMC Reservations on Sun Day
To: LLW
If you have time, I would welcome your comments on SUNDAY[S78,JMC].
In particular, what do you think of my opinion that the Livermore
solar surrey is not a serious project and a symptom of a kind
of intellectual corruption.
∂28-Apr-78 2207 JMC chess
To: RWG
What is the most reasonable chess program (here or at M.I.T. for me to
show my brother who is visiting. He is a good player.
∂28-Apr-78 1902 JMC
To: PAT
I had misnamed it. Now it exist.
∂28-Apr-78 1859 JMC
To: gls at MIT-AI, gjs at MIT-AI
If you look at my 1960 paper "Recursive functions of symbolic
expressions ...", you will see what I knew at the time.
I don't believe there was an implementation or even that one was
worked out.
∂28-Apr-78 1417 JMC
To: PAT
please pub and print manoug.le1
∂27-Apr-78 2347 JMC
To: JB
How about Monday morning 10am?
∂27-Apr-78 1843 JMC thesis writeup
To: JB
I have finished reading the writeup. It looks good to me. I would
like a demonstration, and I would like you to redo Ramsey's theorem
using the new methods to verify what the 600 steps reduce to.
∂27-Apr-78 1347 JMC
To: *
McCarthy's tuner, always off, is now connected to channel 16. <break>16u
will get this music uninterrupted by paging.
∂27-Apr-78 1346 JMC
To: *
McCarthy's tuner, which is always off, is now connected to
∂27-Apr-78 1344 JMC my tuner is on channel 16
To: BH, ME
I have connected my tuner, which is always off, to channel 16.
Please don't let anyone replace it.
∂26-Apr-78 1534 JMC
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10
I will try to phone you at home now.
∂26-Apr-78 1051 JMC
To: RSP
I see the MIT problem, and now I agree that the next thing to do
is to modify SSORT.
∂26-Apr-78 0001 JMC
To: RSP
Well, perhaps I was hasty from impatience at getting something workable.
It seems to me that the search can be limited to one page, and I suppose
it would be wise to assume that the text page isn't well sorted. at least
that would solve the problem. even though Les has convinced me that
it wouldn't be much work to change SSORT, let's make this one work. I
also agree that the directory lines must be well-sorted.
∂25-Apr-78 2137 JMC efind
To: RSP
Now you are arguing ideology rather than simply trying to make a useful
program. If EFIND would search the entire page, it would be insensitive
to such variations. You are right that SSORT didn't produce the file
by itself. I edited the file produced by SSORT in order to make sure
that each page began with a word that wasn't all upper case in the hopes
that then EFIND would find the correct page and search it. When I discovered
that EFIND wouldn't do it anyway, I gave up. It would be better if you
would make EFIND useful rather than argue with REM.
∂25-Apr-78 1230 JMC
To: MRC
max mathews 2015823747
∂25-Apr-78 1201 JMC
To: PAT
Abstract: Another language for expressing "knowing that" is given together
with axioms and rules of inference and a Kripke type semantics. The
formalism is extended to time-dependent knowledge. Completeness and
decidability theorems are given. The problem of the wise men with spots
on their foreheads and the problem of the unfaithful wives are expressed
in the formalism and solved.
∂25-Apr-78 1031 JMC
To: RSP
If the search is linear within a page, it might as well continue to the
end of the page. The fundamental optimization of efind is bring fewer
pages into core. It is not necessary to optimize further within the
page as the time taken by search within the page is dominated by
the disk transfer involved in bringing the page into core.
Moreover, since SSORT is the main program that will be used for bring
files into a form for EFIND, EFIND should be compatible with it.
∂24-Apr-78 2156 JMC
To: RSP
Why won't efind FIND MCCARTHY IN FOO[ESS,JMC]?
∂24-Apr-78 1237 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Edward Ashcroft is in the Computer Science Department at the
University of Waterloo in Canada and knows about Manna's work on
proving parallel programs correct, because he collaborated with Manna
and has since pursued the subject separately.
Per Brinch-Hansen is Chairman of the Computer Science Department
at U.S.C. and has worked on parallel processing and designing structured
operating systems. While his letter is non-commital, he more recently
proposed Manna for the Jones Professorship at U.S.C.
Anthony C. Hoare is Professor of Computer Science at Oxford
University and the discoverer of the Hoare formalism, one of the two
or three most popular lines of research in program proving.
Shigeru Igarashi is Professor and Chairman at Tskuba University.
He has worked in program correctness since his thesis in 1964.
Nils Nilsson is Staff Scientist at SRI.
He is the author of the leading older text on artificial intelligence.
Rod Burstall is Reader in Computer Science at the University of
Edinburgh and one of the leading researchers in artificial intelligence
and mathematical theory of computation.
Jack Goldberg is the head of Computer Science Research at SRI.
Maurice Nivat is the leading French theorist in program correctness
and is Professor at the University of Paris.
Amir Pnueli is another leading scientist in program proving
and is at the Weizmann Instititute.
Arto Salomaa is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Turku
in Finland. His work has mainly been in abstract automata theory
which overlaps Manna's intersts slightly.
Richard Waldinger is a senior scientist at SRI and has collaborated
with Manna in writing a new book and in research on program synthesis.
Raymond Yeh is Chairman of the Computer Science Department at
the University of Texas.
Ben Wegbreit is at Xerox Palo Alto Research Center and formerly
at Harvard. He also works in program proving and has further developed
a method originated by Manna and which he calls subgoal induction.
Edsger Dijkstra is at one of the Dutch universities and is
Burroughs research fellow in computer science. He is the author
of several texts and the originator of the doctrine of "structured
programming".
Of these referees, the most prominent are Burstall, Dijkstra
and Hoare, who, not entirely co-incidentally, the only people who
were rated as comparable with Manna.
Some of the more non-commital were suggested by Manna, because he
thought he should suggest a number of department chairmen even if
they weren't active in his field.
∂24-Apr-78 1130 JMC
To: JRA
When your book comes out, it would be a good idea to send a copy to
Herbert Stoyan, the LISP historian, since he can't buy one from East
Germany. His address is
Dr. Herbert Stoyan
DDR 806 Dresden
Togliattistr. 40
East Germany
∂24-Apr-78 1040 JMC Stoyan
To: ef at MIT-AI
I have a letter from Stoyan in which he says that you were going to do
something for him and evidently forgot. He also writes, "Please tell
Ed Fredkin that at BBN nothing happened".
∂24-Apr-78 1037 JMC IC
To: REM
The enhancements you mention are fine, but it seems to me that it is
to your advantage to get your algorithm to the point where you can
brag about its compression ratio in a published paper. By the way,
I would be glad to have a suitable paper as an AI memo if this suits
you. Of course, and AI memo should only be a step towards journal
publication.
∂23-Apr-78 1856 JMC
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10
Pavlidis at Princeton or Max Mathews at Bell Labs Murray Hill might know
someone.
∂23-Apr-78 1132 JMC
To: DON
I did the rest; where's your hard one again.
∂23-Apr-78 1100 JMC Quasar
To: lefaivre at RUTGERS-10, amarel at RUTGERS-10
To: rsmith at RUTGERS-10
CC: minsky at MIT-AI
I sure hope you will organize a good expedition to check out Quasar.
Remember that outside, remote control can be accomplished from a greater
distance. It might be good to bring a tent or tent material that can
serve as a screen so that the remote operator would be unable to see
the robot. It would be good to know if it's the same robot with just
the swinging degree of freedom or if they have improved it. If a ham
with frequency scanning equipment could find the radio frequencies of
either the voice or the control, that would be beneficial. There is
a chance they are using model airplane controllers or CB. The latter
would be illegal. The local FCC might have a record of a radio license
for remote control.
∂22-Apr-78 1717 JMC
To: BCM
Any of the above days is ok. I don't know how to get you to Lab,
but many people go up from campus. Perhaps you could put up a message
asking for a ride. mail * does it.
∂22-Apr-78 1145 JMC
To: REM
What's your plan for context? Without it the compression is inadequate.
∂22-Apr-78 1138 JMC
To: HVA, LES
My NSF requires a statement of other support pronto.
∂22-Apr-78 1054 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Please send me a list of the writers of the letters submitted on Manna.
∂22-Apr-78 1049 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
There is a current edition being used in CS206. It will be greatly
revised and enlarged. I have just put a copy of the present version
into interdepartmental mail. I will have several questions:
1. How does McGraw-Hill compare financially with others?
2. Can they do a good production job? I'm not too impressed with
the job they did on Manna's book. We might like to use Knuth's
new system or at least his new fonts.
3. How would they feel about a preliminary edition? There is already
some demand. I wouldn't want the present edition to be the preliminary
edition, but next Fall's edition might serve as its basis.
4. Isn't John Allen's book in your series? What about competition
within the line?
I'll send Laurie the description of the letter writers.
∂22-Apr-78 1017 JMC Vadic
To: LES
I see three more boxes. If that completes it, please send a note of thanks.
∂22-Apr-78 0956 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, winograd at PARC-MAXC, CCG
To: buchanan at SUMEX-AIM
What is your reaction to this:
This is a proposal to change the number of CS206 to a 100 number,
say CS166, and to make it one of the courses contributing to the
comprehensive examination. Here are the reasons:
1. LISP is the main language used in AI research. Most other AI
languages are based on LISP.
2. The course is the first programming course in which students
are asked to prove correct a reasonable fraction of the programs
they write.
3. There is now a reasonable text, McCarthy and Talcott, covering both
programming and proving.
4. The inclusion of the book and LISP programming ability in the
comprehensive requirements would allow more interesting programming
problems.
New catalog description:
166. Recursive Programming and Proving - Recursive programming using
the LISP language and techniques for proving the corrrectness of
recursive programs. Computing wherein the data are symbolic expressions
rather than numbers, e.g. algebraic expressions, logical expressions,
patterns, graphs, and computer programs.
Pattern matching and syntax directed computation. Preparation for
work in artificial intelligence is emphasized.
Prerequisite: 105 or 106 or equivalent ability to program.
∂22-Apr-78 0925 JMC getting some overhead money
To: LES
If we could show that we save Stanford money in using the computer
for some of our business operations that would otherwise require
typewriters, we should be able to get some overhead money for
such things as a typewriter output terminal.
∂21-Apr-78 1331 JMC
To: PAT
Please pub todoro.le4 and fix if necessary.
∂21-Apr-78 1305 JMC note to Lindsey
To: PAT
I have read his statement and am not much impressed by Wimsatt.
∂21-Apr-78 1119 JMC
To: STT
Have them read McCarthy and Hayes "Some philosophical ideas from the
standpoint of artificial intelligence - all but the last section.
∂20-Apr-78 2239 JMC
To: REM
I'll wait for context and look for interesting compression ratios.
∂20-Apr-78 2102 JMC
To: REM
19 sec uncrunch
∂20-Apr-78 2056 JMC adaptive si, fast no
To: REM
It crunched a 6.1K file to 3.3K but took 48 sec.
∂20-Apr-78 2038 JMC
To: BCM
Afternoon is good or come by tomorrow afternoon if you can. I'll get
you a ride back.
∂20-Apr-78 2037 JMC
To: DEW
I think everyone understood the problem.
∂20-Apr-78 2037 JMC
To: geoff at SRI-KA
Sounds like a good idea. Martin Frost should be part of it too. I
suggest some afternoon. Please telephone.
∂20-Apr-78 1929 JMC
To: HVA
1000 sq. feet till May 10 for AWHE to pack stuff for shipping
∂20-Apr-78 1417 JMC paper for Dr. Ann Yasuhara
To: PAT
Please send her a copy of FIRST c/o Professor Dana Scott,
Merton College, Oxford, England.
∂20-Apr-78 1300 JMC
To: GRIPES.TXT[2,2]
Squawk box
∂19-Apr-78 1514 JMC
To: AJT
Go ahead full steam.
∂19-Apr-78 1442 JMC
To: BCM
Any afternoon you can make it up here. I can probably meet you
on campus on some mornings or evenings. Telephoning in the afternoon,
like now, is a good way to make an appointment.
∂18-Apr-78 2325 JMC models within models in set theory
To: RWW
You are right that the assertion of consistency is equivalent to
asserting that a model exists, but it doesn't seem to me that consistency
gives a "proper" (i forget the correct adjective) model in which the "sets"
are all the subsets of a given set M and ε is represented by ε. This
seems stronger.
∂18-Apr-78 1711 JMC
To: tajnai at SUMEX-AIM
OK, if it can be here at the AI Lab at a mutually convenient time.
∂18-Apr-78 1148 JMC Letter to Marston
To: minsky at MIT-AI
After we dropped you off, I told Marston that if I thought of something
new, I'd send him a letter. He then asked me to put what I had previously
said in a letter, and I agreed. MARSTO.LE1[LET,JMC] is a draft. I'll
mail it in couple of days if I don't get suggestions from you for
modifications. I don't think that enormous effort put into trying
to influence Marston is worthwhile, and I haven't the time for it
anyway.
∂17-Apr-78 1455 JMC
To: DEW
Please arrange scheduling it with Bob Filman.
∂17-Apr-78 0557 JMC
To: LES
Let's give in on the travel request hassle.
∂15-Apr-78 0000 JMC Expired plan
To: JMC
Your plan has just expired. Maybe you should make a new one.
∂11-Apr-78 1616 JMC via WPAFB-TIP#7
To: CCG
Another potential candidate for IBM fellow is Filman if he doesn't finish.
∂11-Apr-78 1527 JMC
To: DEW
He should certainly rent a car unless you intend to chauffeur him.
Come to think of it, there is a chance he could stay at the faculty
club with this much notice. Please ask Patte right away to try to
make a reservation.
∂10-Apr-78 2045 JMC via WPAFB-TIP#7 LISP in Winston's Artificial Intelligence
To: CLT
Have you read Winston's chapters on LISP. It is very unclean,
but has examples worth considering. Certainly, it is more unclean
than is desirable from any p0int of view - whether it be ease
of understanding, efficiency, or opportunities for correctness
proof. Some of it seems to be "translations from the Microplanner".
We should look at his examples and think what we should borrow,
and what uncleanliness is justified on some ground or other.
See you next week. Best regards. - John
∂09-Apr-78 2122 JMC via WPAFB-TIP#7 Proposal to NSF.
To: RWW
NSF, in the person of Eamon Barret was reluctant, and probably unwilling,
to include your work on my proposal, which they are, however, willing
to fund. He is, however, willing to consider aproposal with me as
principal investigator, featuring your work. Please get started
writing one. Include your salary, oone grad student, and whatever
Les says you should add to be fair to the Lab.
∂09-Apr-78 0716 JMC via WPAFB-TIP#7 Merger of FIND and EFIND.
To: LES
I think you misunderstood my proposal.. The program would not test
whether the directory was in the right form. It would look for
the presence of a specific word on the first line. I now propose
AAAAAZ. Of course, there could be a directory that just
happened to have this first word, but then the lab could allso
be struck by lightning.
∂08-Apr-78 0009 JMC
To: LES
If it is just as suitable for the lab, putting system programmer instead
of electronic technician might work better with NSF. The final total
still might be more than they will go for, but you might telephone
Eamon Barret at NSF and see what he thinks of this budget.
∂08-Apr-78 0000 JMC
To: CCG
An immediate suggestion is Dave Wilkins. Another is Ben Moszkowitz,
but probably he still has an NSF.
∂06-Apr-78 2242 JMC via WPAFB-TIP#7 Your phone call.
To: PAT
I received a message that you phoned earlier. I just got in and tried
to call you at home. If it was about Feigenbaum's call attempt, no
matter, he got me. Otherwise you can leave a message on the computer
phone here about 10:3xxxxxxxxxx. No I forgot which way the time
difference goes. The meeting is at the Gainesville Hilton, and I
suppose they would page me.
∂05-Apr-78 1858 JMC
To: KRD
Thanks much for the comments. The file is ARTIFI[W78,JMC].
Ask Patte to telephone to determine whether revisions are
possible.
∂05-Apr-78 1634 JMC
To: BCM
Sure, after April 15. One commetn on your term paper in
which you didn't actually sucfceed in making progress in
formalization. I think "IMYA" WAS the wrong word
in the title. It should have been "NAZVANIYE". The
former means only first name of a person.
∂03-Apr-78 0658 JMC →12142 (15-Apr-78)
To: ___JMC.PLN[2,2]
I will be in the East till April 15. Patte has my schedule. I
will read my MAIL occasionally.
∂03-Apr-78 0657 JMC
To: LES
For Spring, yes.
∂03-Apr-78 0655 JMC →12142 (15-Apr-78)
To: ___JMC.PLN[2,2]
I will be in the East till April 15. Patte has my schedule.
∂02-Apr-78 1938 JMC McCarthy visit
To: russell at USC-ISI
Reconfirming for 9am Wednesday.
∂02-Apr-78 1801 JMC
To: PAT
Maybe you better phone Quigley and tell him its in the mail.
∂01-Apr-78 1225 JMC EFIND
To: LES
It occurs to me that EFIND would be most effective if merged into FIND.
This oould be done by having FIND look at the directory and if the first
line of the directory was AAAAA, assume the file was in EFIND format
and act accordingly. Then our users wouldn't have to be persuaded
to change their habits in using FIND - only in creating new files,
which they must do anyway.
∂01-Apr-78 1221 JMC Manna
To: FEIGENBAUM at SUMEX-AIM
You will get the papers Monday, and I think they are complete. It occurs
to me that we might have less problem with the search issue if we
could regard it as a promotion. Since he was an assistant professor
here for some years, the Deanery might take that view of the matter
if they wanted to. Perhaps you could explore the possibility with
Royden.
∂01-Apr-78 1212 JMC letter in support of Carolyn Talcott for a fellowship
To: ZM
Could you write such a letter? Cordell called me this morning
to say that he learned yesterday of the existence of an IBM fellowship
for women and needs letters by Monday.
I don't know the exact title of the fellowship or to whom the letter
should be addressed, but Patte can fix up a letter whose general
content is written. I have already written a strong letter.
∂31-Mar-78 1613 JMC maybe in two weeks
To: creary at SUMEX-AIM
I am going to Washington next week where I will visit both ARPA and NSF.
However, I will not be back until the 15th, since I am going to a couple
of meetings.
∂31-Mar-78 1341 JMC Manna letter
To: sacerdoti at SRI-KL
Many thanks for the message, and I would be grateful for it in letter form.
I'll put the message in the file and let the letter catch up with it.
The letter should go to Feigenbaum's office, because I will be away for
two weeks.
∂31-Mar-78 1119 JMC
To: LCW
Yes, please.
∂30-Mar-78 1401 JMC letter about Manna
To: sacerdoti at SRI-KL
We are trying to appoint Zohar Manna, and we need some evidence as to
his teaching. We have recent evidence, but when he was here before,
formal evaluations weren't done. Can you say something in confidence
about it? A letter is preferred, but an ARPAnet message will do. We
need it quickly, because except for that point, the papers are ready
to submit.
This is what I telephoned about Thursday. Thanks in advance.
John McCarthy
∂29-Mar-78 1356 JMC Peterson's guide
To: JJK, feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
I received a brochure in the mail from a publication called
"Peterson's Guide" that distributes announcements of academic programs
to deans, department chairmen, guidance people, etc. For $385, they
include a 2 page statement in their guide and send 300? copies. The
sample was the Harvard Applied Mathematics program and it looked like
something we should go for. Unfortunately, the original material did
not include the price, so I put it off and the material got lost.
However, they just phoned me, and will send new material. I had them
send it to JJK since I imagined him stuck with the task of preparing
the writeup which can be based on our catalog statement with the Harvard
statement as a model. It looks like it is worth the money.
∂29-Mar-78 1237 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Any reaction yet to Manna form draft?
∂29-Mar-78 1234 JMC Manna's teaching
To: BS
Does the department have evaluations of Manna's teaching for the
period 1968-72 when he was here previously.
∂28-Mar-78 2222 JMC
To: KRD
If you write the paragraph not too outlandishly, I'll be glad to second
the nomination.
∂28-Mar-78 1659 JMC
To: LES
Will you help Mark do the right thing?
∂28-Mar-78 1657 FEINLER at SRI-KL SU-AI write-up - Request for update
Date: 28 Mar 1978 1651-PST
Sender: FEINLER at SRI-KL
Subject: SU-AI write-up - Request for update
From: FEINLER at SRI-KL
To: mrc@SU-AI
Cc: jmc@SU-AI
Message-ID: <[SRI-KL]28-Mar-78 16:51:40-PST.FEINLER>
Dear Liaison,
It is time to revise the Resource Handbook again. The SERVER write-ups
for the host or hosts for which your are Liaison are located in the
files
<NETINFO>SU-AI.TXT on SRI-KL (66 dec)
and may be FTPed by invoking FTP at your local host, logging in as
'anonymous' followed by your lastname as password, and pulling the file
to your directory or lineprinter.
These write-ups are to be included in the new edition of the Resource
Handbook. Please make any changes, additions, or deletions and return
as soon as possible. Deadline for changes is no later than
*FIRM!******************* April 14, 1978 *******************FIRM!*
Return write-ups online to
FEINLER@SRI-KL
Return hardcopy via U.S. mail to
Elizabeth Feinler
Network Information Center, J2021
SRI International
Menlo Park, California 94025
Users would particularly like to know: 1) who are the the proper
contacts for your host, 2) what are the network interests and/or
research at your site, and 3) what software do you have that others can
use on your computer or transport to their own computers.
NOTE: In the past several Liaison mistakenly thought that announcing
software as 'available' meant it was free and maintained for novice
users. This does not have to be the case (although it certainly is
not discouraged!) 'Available' means only that the software has been
implemented and that it can be shared in some fashion across the
network. 'Software' can be anything from operating system releases
to user programs. It is understood that the people controlling the
software may set whatever conditions seem appropriate for an
interchange with other users.
Last year some Liaison, due to local difficulties, were unable to obtain
the online version of their resource handbook host write-ups in time.
Therefore, in addition to the online notice and write-up, we are sending
each of you the same information in hardcopy via U.S. mail. We hope
that this will cover most contingencies, and will make it as convenient
as possible for you to provide the NIC with the needed information.
More and more users are coming onto the ARPANET. They are frequently
dependent upon the information supplied by the Liaison to find their way
around the net. I hope that all of you will provide write-ups for them
to reference, and use this opportunity to publicize interesting work
going on on your hosts and useful services that are available.
Regards,
Elizabeth Feinler, Mgr.
Arpanet Network Information Center
∂28-Mar-78 1123 JMC Chvatal may stay in Montreal
To: DEK
Arthur Veinott called to say that he has been in contact with Chvatal
who is tempted to stay in Montreal. Veinott would like you to call him
at home 493-0576 or office 7-4094. He thinks that whatever should be
done should be done in the next few days.
∂27-Mar-78 2237 JMC
To: MRC
I looked and tinkered in minor ways.
∂27-Mar-78 1821 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
A.
(insert publication list)
COMMENTS ON MANNA'S MOST IMPORTANT PUBLICATIONS
by John McCarthy, Professor of Computer Science
1. %2Mathematical Theory of Computation%1, McGraw-Hill, New York 1974.
This book, which has already been translated into Japanese,
Italian and Russian and reprinted as a paperback, is the first textbook
in mathematical theory of computation.
Its appearance is a major step towards replacing experimental debugging
of computer programs by proofs that they meet their specifications.
At present, computer programs are debugged. That is, after
a program is written it is tried on test cases until its author is
satisfied and turns it over to users. If the program is at all
complex, the users usually find further mistakes. Mistakes turn
up in big systems for years. The mistakes often cause economic loss
and the cost of fixing them often exceeds the cost of the original
program many times over.
The major applied goal of mathematical theory of computation
is to replace debugging by mathematically proving that the program
meets its specifications. Such a proof must then be checked either
by a person or by a proof-checking computer program. Once this has
been done, the chance of error is reduced to that of an incongruity
between the formal specifications and what the users have in mind
or to an error in the proof-checking program or on the part of the
human checking the proof. Computer scientists believe that
formal proving will bring about a major reduction in the cost
of getting good programs.
Manna's text is the first big step in making these techniques
accessible to students of computer science at an early stage. Writing
the first textbook in a new field is a major creative endeavor, and
Manna's book is not a mere summary of research papers. The high regard
the computer science world has for the book is shown by the number
of translations into foreign languages.
It is a first class scholarly work in that it reworks and presents not
only the approaches to program proving that Manna himself has worked on,
but also the other major approaches and necessary background material
from mathematical logic, recursive function theory and the theory of
automata.
2. "Properties of programs and the first-order predicate calculus",
%2Journal of the Association for Computing Machinery%1, Vol. 16,
No. 2, pp. 244-255. April 1969.
This paper, based on Manna's Ph.D. thesis, shows how to
write sentences of the predicate calculus expressing the %2total
correctness%1 of a program. It is a kind of dual to the method
of inductive assertions invented by Robert Floyd which gives only
partial correctness, i.e. that the program give correct results
under the assumption that it terminates. Manna's new method is
a creative achievement and elegantly presented, but the Manna
sentences have been difficult to prove. The method is ripe for
re-examination now that the techniques for proving such sentences
are better developed.
3. - with S. Ness and J. Vuillemin, "Inductive methods for proving
properties of programs", %2Communications of the ACM%1, vol. 16,
No. 8, ppl 491-502. (1973).
This paper which won an ACM award as the best paper of 1974,
presents a number of methods for proving properties of both recursive
and sequential programs. One of the methods has been revived by
Morris and Wegbreit under the name of %2subgoal induction%1.
This method is for recursive programs what Floyd's inductive assertion
method is for sequential programs.
4. -
!B. not applicable
!C. Manna's current research is in three areas - mathematical theory of
computation, computer program synthesis, and other topics in theoretical
computer science.
Manna has been one of the leaders in mathematical theory of
computation since his thesis in 1968. He continues to develop new
techniques for proving that computer programs meet their specifications.
Thus, in collaboration with his student Nachum Dershowitz, he has
just completed a paper showing how production system computations
can be proved to terminate by induction on generalized lexicographic
orderings. This has settled several previously recalcitrant cases.
[good words about program synthesis]
!IV. THE CANDIDATE'S ROLE
A. Description of candidate's expected role.
Manna will strengthen the Computer Science Department in mathematical
theory of computation and possibly in artificial intelligence. (His
program synthesis work is going in that direction). When he was at
Stanford before he directed theses in this area and his careful
work with students has been missed.
He will teach the main courses and take part in curriculum design in these
areas.
We also expect him to do his share of committee work, and we
consider him capable of taking his turn as department chairman.
B. He has already done all these things extremely successfully.
C. The department as a whole has connections with other departments, but
Manna's field is not especially involved in such collaborations.
D. When Manna was an assistant professor here at Stanford he took part
in the following committee activities.
!V. EVALUATION OF TEACHING
Manna is an excellent lecturer and is always extremely well
prepared. Enclosed is a copy of the student course evaluation of his most
recent course taught at Stanford. It is a research oriented course
in a field in which many of the students were unprepared.
!VI. SEARCH REPORT
The Computer Science Department has been trying to get an
outstanding researcher and teacher in this field for many years.
In our letters concerning Manna we asked for comparison with the
outstanding people, including Anthony Hoare and Dana Scott of
Oxford, Edsger Dijkstra, and Rod Burstall of Edinburgh.
Scott was previously at Stanford in the Mathematics Department
and left for Princeton and finally Oxford. His field overlaps Manna's
slightly, but his strengths are different.
We don't know why he left Stanford, but there is no reason to suppose
he wants to return.
Whether the Department would prefer him if were available has not been
explored.
Hoare visited Stanford in 1973-74 and his interest in coming
to Stanford was explored with negative result. Whether we would now
prefer him is unexplored.
Dijkstra declined a Stanford offer about five years ago. The
Department would definitely not make him an offer today, because of
a conviction that he is not keeping up with what others have accomplished
in this field.
Burstall's interest in coming to Stanford was explored several
years ago with negative results. Whether we would prefer him, were
he available, has not been explored, but the probable answer is negative.
If either Scott or Hoare were available, we would probably
consider them targets of opportunity.
In our letters, we asked for recommendations of competitive
candidates and received none.
We are confident that we know everyone who has made major
contributions to mathematical theory of computation.
None of the outstanding people in this field are candidates
for affirmative action.
!B. We are considering the appointment of Manna as a new appointment although
he has been here before. However, because he has been here before, the
senior faculty know Manna's work very well and unanimously support the
appointment.
!VII. DEPARTMENT APPROVAL
A.
B. The Department Appointments and Promotions Committee conducted tee
search and unanimously recommended appointment to a tenured position.
The Department tenured faculty unanimously repeated this recommendation,
and the Department Professors unanimously recommended the rank of
Professor.
C. All members voted.
D. Approval was unanimous.
∂27-Mar-78 1820 JMC
To: REM
I don't know how to uncrunch, there not being a file.
∂27-Mar-78 1718 JMC Manna
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
The file MANNA.PRA[W78,JMC] contains a draft of the green form for Manna.
I would appreciate your comments, especially in the section that describes
the search.
∂27-Mar-78 1622 JMC
To: REM
I tried repeating the same character at it, and it seemed to get into
a periodic state where it generated about one bit for every 10 characters.
I typed a lot of sentences at it, and didn't get as good a result as
I would have expected. There may be a bug, but it will surely turn up
when you can point it at files.
∂27-Mar-78 1131 JMC
To: JJK
Second thought: morning better.
∂27-Mar-78 1130 JMC
To: JJK
Anytime.
∂27-Mar-78 1127 JMC
To: RDR
They would mention both strengths and weaknesses, but I couldn't say
much one way or the other about your programming ability if that is
relevant.
∂27-Mar-78 0111 JMC
To: REM
What sort of compression ratios are you getting?
∂27-Mar-78 0037 JMC
To: PAT
Please put LISP[f77,jmc] back in a form where it can be pubbed for
8 1/2 by 11 printing and print some copies for local distribution.
Randy Davis wants one and will MAIL you where to send it.
∂27-Mar-78 0035 JMC
To: KRD
Yes, but it needs a new PUB preamble and to be repubbed. I'll ask Patte
to do it and send you a copy. Please MAIL her where you want it sent.
∂27-Mar-78 0032 JMC
To: MRC
Weizenbaum's main role seemed to be to provide contrast, and some of
the juxtapositions were quite artificial. For example, the statement
of Weizenbaum's just after mine was obviously referring to something
different than what I had said. The program didn't seem to explain much.
∂25-Mar-78 1725 JMC
To: PAM
Brad Efron is chairman of the Statistics Department.
∂23-Mar-78 1543 JMC
To: JJK
I have a conflict, but I could meet at 4pm if it were out here.
∂23-Mar-78 1024 JMC Lederberg review
To: weizenbaum at MIT-ML
There is a copy in WEIZEN.LED[PUB,JMC], but there is a Stanford Computer
Science Report containing reviews by Bruce Buchanan, Lederberg and myself.
The version in the report is the one that should be referenced, if any.
∂21-Mar-78 0024 JMC ARPA proposal
To: TOB, RWW, CCG, DCL, ZM
CC: LES
You should all be thinking about what goes into the next ARPA proposal
for support effective next October. I tried out on Russell the idea
that it should have increased relative emphasis on basic research and
got what I interpret as a negative response.
Our proposal should be prepared this Spring. I expect to see Russell
on April 5 and will have more to say when I return, but it wouldn't hurt
to start thinking now.
∂21-Mar-78 0023 JMC
To: CLT
That's all fine.
∂20-Mar-78 2233 JMC
To: CLT
I have modified intro2.
∂20-Mar-78 1613 JMC
To: BS
I have not been involved in arranging this, but it seems to me that the
department should transfer to the LOTS budget whatever it normally pays
to a lecturer. This is under the assumption that Ralph cannot be paid
extra for the work.
∂20-Mar-78 1119 JMC
To: russell at USC-ISI
CC: carlson at USC-ISI
How about first thing in the morning on the 5th then? What time is
most convenient for you?
∂20-Mar-78 1115 JMC
To: WD
The projector is in Susie's room.
∂19-Mar-78 1443 JMC
To: ZM
I think it's irrelevant, but I'll check.
∂18-Mar-78 1956 JMC meeting
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
I have reconsidered and decided that meeting with people doing studies
does not advance any of my goals and therefore won't be able to meet
with you.
∂18-Mar-78 1657 JMC finding files
To: ME
The command should recognize page and line switches and should also
recognize file hacks.
∂18-Mar-78 1359 JMC
To: sirbu at MIT-MC
I plan to be at Stanford on that day and can see you. I suggest you
call Ralph Gorin 415 497-1360 to arrange a discussion of operational
matters and a visit.
∂18-Mar-78 1014 JMC Busy signals
To: MRC
Do you think it is feasible to tell whether the line is busy or
must Dialnet simply time out?
∂18-Mar-78 0044 JMC abstract syntax
To: CLT
What do you think of beginning along the lines of ABSTRA[w78,jmc]
which may be further developed by the time you come back on Sunday.
I may also work on an introduction to the present edition.
Incidentally, old exams have a large number of problems which can
be put in various parts of the text. There is a shortage of
more substantial problems, however. What do you think of reading
and printing algebraic expressions as a problem?
∂17-Mar-78 2348 JMC
To: ME
A small bug has crept into justification in E. It is my custom to
use Xjf 8 the first time and Xjf subsequently to get the paragraphing I
like. Now, curiously, the jf 8 doesn't work the first time although it
works on all subsequent occasions. The bug is but a day or so old.
∂17-Mar-78 2245 JMC
To: CLT
Thanks, I would like to borrow it.
I have first comments on "Transforming LISP programs". This chapter
should have two aspects, theoretical (which you have) and computational.
In the published book, I think the computational aspect should dominate,
because I consider the book to be about how to program supplemented
with techniques for proving the programs correct - rather than
primarily about proving.
This chapter should take advantage of the fact that transformations
of LISP programs are conveniently expressed in LISP, because the
internal form of data matches the form of program and because many
operations on functions are conveniently described as functions.
The transformations you discuss can be made more concrete by giving
some of the the LISP programs that carry out the transformations
and giving some others as exercises.
I am also a bit concerned that you might go overboard on theory in
teaching the course.
What are the expressions like (IV.*.*) on p. 3?
Incidentally, what time are you leaving tonight, so I can get back
to you before then if my reading results in more for you to think
about?
∂17-Mar-78 2223 JMC
To: CLT
Where did you buy the Krivine book? I looked in the bookstore.
∂17-Mar-78 1526 JMC memo to Royden and long forms for Manna
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
1. Please send me the green forms, and I'll start in.
2. Here is a draft of memo to Royden. Please show it to Ed.
Dear Halsey:
The senior faculty of the Computer Science Department has voted
unanimously to recommend that Dr. Zohar Manna be appointed Professor of
Computer Science. This will fill the terms of the Fletcher Jones
Foundation grant, and we want to appoint him anyway.
Dr. Manna is Professor of Computer Science at the Weizmann
Institute in Israel, and has been visiting the Stanford Artificial
Intelligence Laboratory for the last two years.
He is one of the two or three best people in the world in proving
computer programs correct and the author of the only textbook on the
subject and has recently been active in program synthesis. He is also an
outstanding teacher and dissertation adviser. The green forms will be
submitted shortly. We already have the outside letters.
John McCarthy
Acting Chairman
∂17-Mar-78 0911 JMC
To: LES
∂17-Mar-78 0845 CET
To: JMC, EAF, RWF, GHG, JGH, DEK, JMC
February 17, 1978
TO: CSD Faculty and Research Associates
FROM: Gene Golub
SUBJECT: Support for new students.
URGENTLY need to know how many new students you can support.
Please call Gene Golub on 73124.
∂15-Mar-78 1754 JMC
To: russell at USC-ISI, carlson at USC-ISI
I plan to be in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 4 and
5, and could be there on Monday April 3 if it made a difference. Would
it be possible to visit ARPA on either of those days and discuss the
Stanford renewal proposal. If it were possible to meet Dr. Fossum,
that would be great.
I have read that the Congress and Administration are more
favorable to basic research than they have been in recent years.
If this change extends to ARPA, we would like to orient our proposal
more in basic research directions than we have in recent years.
John McCarthy
∂15-Mar-78 1205 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
It looks ok now. Put it in calend[ess,jmc] when you set a time.
∂15-Mar-78 1116 JMC
To: JJK
I will be available next week, but since we don't have money yet, the
discussion will have to be preliminary.
∂15-Mar-78 0150 JMC
To: ME
Many thanks for improved αβ..
∂13-Mar-78 1201 JMC
To: DPB, SSO, RWF, JLH, GIO
The scale of the trial shouldn't matter during the summer.
∂13-Mar-78 0904 JMC
To: ME
What about saving a file while in line mode?
∂12-Mar-78 1726 JMC
To: PAT
Please pub gordon.le3[let,jmc].
∂10-Mar-78 2206 JMC Your new compression algorithm.
To: REM
I now understand the general idea of your algorithm, and it looks
good. Let me point out that your algorithm can be extended to
non-Markovian processes. For example, suppose that we suspected
that the populations from which characters are selected change
irregularly. We could have a test - chi square or something
like that - which would test whether recent characters seem
to be coming from the same distribution. When this hypothesis
was rejected, it could pick a new distribution, e.g. it could
suddenly decide that a long string of digits was in the offing.
The only requirement is that the intervals be determined by
criteria that lag sufficiently so that the decoder could use
them also.
I assume you know that there are numerous misprints,
e.g. "propability" and "existance".
∂10-Mar-78 1756 JMC
To: TOB
I plan to be in the east from the 2nd to 14th. Can you and he
manage without me?
∂10-Mar-78 0921 JMC
To: SSO, RWF, JLH, GIO, DPB
1. I have one long term substantive objection to Pascal. It
doesn't have conditional expressions. Therefore, it doesn't allow
conditional expression recursion as a way of defining functions,
and this turns out to be one of the two ways, and in my opinion the
more flexible, of writing programs that can be proved to meet their
specifications. Since we aren't ready to introduce correctness
proofs to CS105 and CS106 students, this is a limited objection
at present.
2. Putting on my LOTS hat, I object to the adoption of a
language without at least a one quarter trial with a smaller group.
Is anyone preparing to make such a trial this Spring, or has
there been one?
∂10-Mar-78 0133 JMC one last reference
To: PAT
I would like to include a reference to the POP-2 language
by Robin Popplestone and (I think) Rod Burstall. I suppose
Harry Barrow at SRI would be a good person to ask what is the
best reference. I believe I refer to it in the text, and this
reference should be fixed. You can phone me in case of doubt.
∂09-Mar-78 1946 JMC
To: SSO
CC: RWF, JLH, JMC, GIO
Sue, are you in a position to give said report? If not, who?
∂09-Mar-78 1052 JMC
To: pratt at MIT-AI
There is some sentiment for it, but I have been claiming that the
goal of a terminal (cheap) for every graduate student and faculty
member should be achieved before personal computers become the
main goal. The department is trying to raise the money for its
own 2020, and with the S-1, we shall probably have enough compute
capacity and file capacity to support enough terminals.
∂09-Mar-78 0053 JMC
To: PAT
Please check whether spelling is "Gerberick" or "Gerberich" and correct it
in paper or in references - whichever is incorrect.
∂09-Mar-78 0047 JMC Letter to editor of CACM
To: PAT
1956 seems too early for my letter about conditional expressions.
Please find out if that letter (if there is a letter of that date)
mentions the phrase "conditional expression". If not, look for
a later letter. It would be in 1959 or 1960, I think.
∂08-Mar-78 1713 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
∂21-Feb-78 2207 FTP:CARL at MIT-AI (Carl Hewitt)
Date: 22 FEB 1978 0108-EST
From: CARL at MIT-AI (Carl Hewitt)
To: CARL at MIT-AI, jmc at SU-AI
John,
Jean Sammet asked Barbara Liskov to please ask to you separate
your paper into two papers by making the appendix on the definition
of LISP into a separate paper with a title and your name.
Sincerely,
Carl
By "appendix on the definition of LISP, does she mean the micro-manual,
and should I include and eval function.
∂08-Mar-78 1442 JMC
To: PAT
Send Corky a new draft of FIRST.
∂08-Mar-78 1019 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
I slightly prefer 1pm.
∂07-Mar-78 1522 JMC
To: BS
Go ahead and attend the conference.
∂07-Mar-78 1517 JMC
To: JMC
See you tomorrow.
∂06-Mar-78 1420 JMC CS226 for course evaluation
To: DON
Here is the requested statement:
CS226 is concerned with the epistemological part of the AI problem -
what information and modes of reasoning are available to a person
or machine with given opportunities to observe. I believe that
progress in epistemology is essential to successful high-level
machine intelligence, hence the course. Unfortunately, what is now
known about the epistemology relevant to AI is not a coherent whole
but rather a collection of mutually disconnected results, approaches
and ideas. This makes for a somewhat disconnected course but gives
mature students the opportunity to develop ideas of their own.
∂06-Mar-78 0122 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I presently expect to be here from the 27th to 31 and will be glad to have
dinner or lunch.
∂05-Mar-78 1652 JMC
To: PAT
Please pub and print estrin.le1[let,jmc] and person[w78,jmc] and
check them for misprints.
∂05-Mar-78 1406 JMC LISP paper
To: PAT
Please incorporate what references you have. Also please find out how the
title and institutional affiliation are to be included and modify the
paper accordingly.
∂05-Mar-78 1322 JMC
To: PAT
5. %3Berkeley, Edmund C. and Daniel Bobrow, eds.%2 (1964), %2The Programming
Language LISP, its Operation and Applications%1, Information International
Incorporated, Cambridge, Massachusetts. (out of print).
∂04-Mar-78 1719 JMC
To: creary at SUMEX-AIM
The talk turned out to be to the IMSSS seminar, but some statistics
people were there.
∂03-Mar-78 1453 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Thanks for the info on LISP timing. Did you get the message congratulating
you on space victory? I mailed it to EAF here, and it is supposed
to be forwarded automatically.
∂03-Mar-78 1449 JMC
To: EAF
Congratulations on the space victory. I agree with your proposal for
conducting the qual and hereby appoint you chairman of the AI qual
committee subject to confirmation by the Department Chairman when
he resumes office on April Fool's Day.
∂03-Mar-78 1445 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Sure, I'll ask, and I see no obstacle.
∂03-Mar-78 1133 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
If the meeting were early afternoon on the 13th, I could certainly
make it. Otherwise, schedule it, and I'll come if I can. I could
also come if it were at the AI Lab.
∂03-Mar-78 1130 JMC
To: DON
I used to subscribe to the Monthly, stopped some years ago, and am just
starting again. You're welcome to look, but the Library files them
nicely.
∂03-Mar-78 1026 JMC Bradley vs. Brown
To: levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
A Brown-Younger race with nuclear energy as the issue worries me.
Carter would normally support Brown, and he is weak enough on the energy
issue. While I am a Republican now, energy is more important, and I would
not like to see Democratic Party, the stronger of the two, be drawn into
an anti-nuclear position by partisanship. Therefore, it would be much
better if the issue were fought in th Democratic primary. Bradley has
supported Sundesert, and his city council supported it 11-2, and the NAACP
supports nuclear energy. It would advance black participation in politics,
if a black candidate represented a major non-race issue.
∂02-Mar-78 2038 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Your space plea looks good to me.
∂02-Mar-78 2035 JMC
To: feigenbaume at SUMEX-AIM
Your space letter looks good to me.
∂02-Mar-78 0813 JMC
To: REF
no
∂01-Mar-78 1339 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Glad you answered this inquiry. I felt I couldn't say yes to Golub on
my own because it involves next year's budget.
∂28-Feb-78 2005 JMC Blood drive
To: BPM
This is really Dick Karp over JMC's home terminal. I won't be in the blood
drive--I'll be away on vacation Mar 2-20. However, I'm willing after getting
back.
Dick Karp
∂27-Feb-78 1749 JMC
To: HVA
My telephone is very noisy. Can you get them to fix it?
∂27-Feb-78 1621 JMC use of system
To: ef at MIT-AI
About 2/3 of faculty and all dept. administrators have logged in within
the last two days. Some of the other faculty may use SUMEX where that
info isn't available.
∂27-Feb-78 1618 JMC moving work to AI Lab machine
To: wiederhold at SUMEX-AIM
CC: LES
I wanted to talk to you about it, but I think we might as well go ahead
and do it without further delay.
∂27-Feb-78 1613 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Which department members can be reliably reached by net mail?
∂27-Feb-78 1608 JMC Baskett letters
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Have the letters asking about him gone out yet. If not ask Bob if he
would prefer that I send them. If he would, prepare copies of the
current version for my signature addressed to the names we have at
present.
∂27-Feb-78 1556 JMC Comprehensive system
To: ef at MIT-AI
I have looked at the memo.
1. I think you should reduce the services initally offered to
messages, text editing, and reference to documents, especially
to M.I.T. documents that change. Voice applications should
be omitted.
2. While M.I.T. can pioneer in this area it will end up using
a commercial system, just as M.I.T. ended up using a commercial
telephone system, and the E.E. Departments private system became
a white elephant.
3. The idea of scaling up from the AI Lab to the whole university
in one hop won't fly, I'll bet. I would suggest trying for LCS+EE dept.
+top M.I.T. administration. Eventually, share of the costs of the
system will have to be includable in the M.I.T. overhead rate on
all grants and contracts just as the use of the telephone system
is so included. It might be possible to get the government to
agree to letting M.I.T. be an experiment in this direction.
4. At Stanford, we are expanding our coverage from the AI Lab to
the whole Computer Science Department, but it will be another year
before all faculty have terminals. However, all the departmental
secretaries and administrators have terminals and they are used
routinely for departmental communication. I think all faculty members
now check for mail or have someone else do it for them.
More Datamedia terminals are being purchased by the department
as fast as money becomes available. Perhaps we will try to colonize
the top administration next.
∂27-Feb-78 1218 JMC
To: levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
CC: PAT
I was PI. My secretary, Patte Wood, will try to find a copy and
call you or send you a message.
∂27-Feb-78 1150 JMC
To: levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
Let's make it tonight at 8 then. Teller's address is
943 Casa Nueva (RONO on letter box) at Stanford.
∂27-Feb-78 0034 JMC Meeting with Teller
To: levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
He would like to reschedule for tonight
at 8pm a t his house or for
Wednesdday or thursday lunch.
∂26-Feb-78 1753 JMC
To: hearn at DEC-MARLBORO
The current version is and will be LISP[F77,JMC]. I am about to make
some remarks claiming that one of the reasons for the longevity of
LISP is that it is peculiarly suitable for making other systems like
REDUCE and FOL and QA4, because it provides a command language for
testing things but mainly because LISP is an easy target language
for program generators from yet higher level languages. Do you
have any comments. Jean Sammett is pressing me for a final version
of the paper, so only quick comments will be influential.
∂26-Feb-78 1522 JMC statement from faculty about proposal
To: JJK
I will approve the proposal if I get a statement from the Systems
Faculty that each of them has seen it and agrees that it is a good
bet for the use of our limited ability to extract instruction
aiding money from NSF. Net messages or phone calls will suffice,
but they should be based on having seen the proposal. By the way,
exactly who is included in "systems faculty"?
∂26-Feb-78 1442 JMC Steve Russell telephone
To: kotok at DEC-MARLBORO
Can you find telephone numbers for Steve Russell. I need to
pump him on his memory of early history of LISP for a paper
whose deadline has just passed.
∂26-Feb-78 1440 JMC LISP history
To: russell at DEC-MARLBORO
Steve:
I have many questions about your memory of the early
history of LISP for my overdue paper on the subject. Please
MAIL me a telephone number or call me.
John McCarthy
∂25-Feb-78 1842 JMC MEETING ON VERIFIER
To: REI
Reiji, Sorry I missed you this afternoon; I shall be in Sunday afternoon
also.
- David
∂25-Feb-78 1356 JMC I have read your two notes.
To: BCM
1. What you say about the Painter and Newey theses is plausible, but
I haven't the time to relearn them enough to discuss it.
Why don't you consider doing a full computer-verified proof yourself.
However, you should also look at Michael Gordon's papers.
2. I don't believe your first proof that the 91-function is total,
because I think replacing f(x+11) by its finite form begs the question.
The other proofs resemble those other people have constructed but need
to be made formal. The reason is not to make the particular proposition
more convincing but to develop technique that can be used routinely.
∂24-Feb-78 1718 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
nothing special
∂23-Feb-78 1906 JMC
To: TED
The dialer isn't even dialing numbers.
∂23-Feb-78 1646 JMC
To: levinthal at SUMEX-AIM
You are welcome to the proposal, and if Reynolds' copy is
accessible, that is more convenient than digging up another.
∂22-Feb-78 2321 JMC
To: MRC
I am unhappy about rate of work on Dialnet.
∂22-Feb-78 1851 JMC
To: creary at SUMEX-AIM
Thursday lunch would be fine.
∂22-Feb-78 1849 JMC
To: hart at SRI-KL
Jim Hieronymus
735-4832(work), 321-6733 is a PhD in physics from Cornell and worked
on speech recognitiona at the AI Lab for two or three years until
we were definitely not included in ARPA speech. He also did some
vision work. He now works for Amdahl Corporation. I think he knows
quite a bit about AI and is level-headed. I believe he would make
a good impression at an interview.
∂21-Feb-78 1358 JMC
To: PAT
Vera asks me how the permits for Cow Hill are coming?
∂21-Feb-78 0918 JMC Your thesis should be self-contained.
To: RCM
I doubt that you should "refer to (Moore 1975) for further discussion",
especially since your Master's thesis hasn't been published.
∂19-Feb-78 1212 JMC
To: pratt at MIT-AI
By the way, do you have a published source for the problem.?
∂19-Feb-78 1210 JMC
To: DEA, pratt at MIT-AI
I have solved the problem informally, but have not yet been able to state
the problem in a formal system for reasoning about knowledge. It requires
much more formalism than the problem of the wise men with spots on their
foreheads or the problem of the unfaithful wives.
∂18-Feb-78 2238 JMC
To: DEA
The problem is nicely worded except for that point - much better than
the version in the CGOL manual - for example. However, "I knew you
don't know" suggests "I knew you didn't know and wouldn't know even after
hearing this sentence". This excludes all odd numbers of the form
(prime + 2↑k), and ends up excluding all numbers. Before coming to
this conclusion, I preferred that interpretation because it made the
problem more interesting.
∂18-Feb-78 1639 JMC puzzle
To: RWW
"I knew you don't know" should have been "I knew you didn't know". Pratt
gives a solution in CGOL.PRA[UP,DOC] page 26, and I independently got
the same solution. Final checking requires some search for which Pratt
wrote a program. I haven't bothered.
∂18-Feb-78 1538 JMC
To: pratt at MIT-AI
I now have the reference in the CGOL manual.
∂18-Feb-78 1536 JMC
To: DEK
Thanks. Pratt's paper is in CGOL.PRA[UP,DOC] page 26.
∂18-Feb-78 1453 JMC Knowing the sum and product.
To: pratt at MIT-AI
Someone has put this problem on our bulletin board, and I wonder if it
is correctly stated and if I am interpreting it correctly. Don Knuth
says you know about it and have a reference. One question is whether
"I knew you don't know" is what S says or whether it is "I knew you
didn't know". The first, which is on the board, I interpret as asserting
that not even knowing this assertion is enough to decide the problem.
If, as I further assume, S and P have been jointly informed that
1 < m,n < 100, then I think I can show that the problem has no solutions.
∂18-Feb-78 1209 JMC
To: *
Can anyone tell me the source of the Reasoning about Knowledge problem?
There seems to be a bug in the wording and I wonder if it was miscopied. - JMC
∂18-Feb-78 1052 JMC
To: RWW
Bug! We can't assume they know the numbers are less than 100.
∂17-Feb-78 1635 JMC move to AI Lab machine
To: wiederhold at SUMEX-AIM
CC: LES
I favor this, if we can work it out reasonably. Since we don't charge
for machine use, projects usually help out with new hardware, and we
need more disk; it looks like we will shortly get 2 megawords more core.
There will also be some pressure on terminals and compute speed.
Questions:
1. How many people?
2. How much disk are you now using and plan to use.
3. Will you need desk space?
Was S.L.A.C. charging money? We should talk on the phone.
∂17-Feb-78 1213 JMC
To: TOB
I have signed routing sheet though I haven't had time to read it.
∂17-Feb-78 1118 JMC
To: BS
Please give them to Laurie Levin, who is serving as my campus secretary,
and ask her to have me sign them on Tuesday.
∂17-Feb-78 0931 JMC Cow Hill
To: PAT
"Due to recent problems patrolling cow hill, the university is
now requiring a pass for all persons who wish to picnic or hike in
the hills on the west side of Junipero Serra Blvd. These passes
are available to all faculty and staff members and may be obtained
at 105 Encina Hall.
etc.
∂17-Feb-78 0914 JMC
To: SSO
There was no confusion about time. I fear this means that Herrero's
trip was personal, to see his student son, and that talking with
the CS Department was incidental. Therefore, I doubt we will hear
more from ITT Europe. Hope I'm wrong. On the other hand, he looked
a little peaky, so maybe he came down with flu. Anyway thanks.
∂16-Feb-78 1740 JMC
To: wiederhold at SUMEX-AIM, feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, DPB, JLH, JMB
To: RWF, SSO
Leaving verification in the theory area suits me too. Ultimately, verification
will be part of every area of computer science, e.g. the hardware people
will show how to prove facts about hardware and the numerical analysts
will show how to prove facts about numerical algorithms. Some of this
will use techniques peculiar to the particular branch of computer science,
but it will mostly be based on techniques developed in what I have
called mathematical theory of computation. I am curious whether others
agree with this opinion, even though I don't think it suggests any
additional immediate decisions.
∂16-Feb-78 1704 JMC
To: JRG
Please send me a copy of the new course evaluations.
∂16-Feb-78 1554 JMC c/o in mail
To: BH
It would be convenient to allow a mail addressee to be X c/o Y. The
effect would be a message to Y headed by Please pass this on to X.
With a single message, one can insert this in a text, but if the same
message is sent to a number of people, this doesn't work. X will
be someone who doesn't get computer mail directly.
∂16-Feb-78 1541 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, wiederhold at SUMEX-AIM
CC: DPB, JLH, JMB, RWF, SSO
Say again what the curriculum does about program verification.
Is that part of Systems?
∂15-Feb-78 2222 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Please give a copy of this to Bob Floyd.
∂15-Feb-78 2217 DEK baskett papers
It just occurred to me that the job of getting letters for Baskett
might be a little simpler if it were done by a joint EE-CS committee.
For example, you could suggest that Mike Flynn initiate such action.
If you think this is a good idea, be sure to show him the kind of
letters CS has been using for tenure matters, as they were intended to
be in the style Royden wants.
∂15-Feb-78 1734 JMC Painter thesis
To: BCM
1. Yes I will be interested.
2. I think it is better to MAIL such messages rather that SEND them,
because the recipient can examine it at his leisure if the message
is MAILed.
∂15-Feb-78 1720 JMC
To: BCM
I'm not entirely surprised.
∂15-Feb-78 1705 JMC Cordell leave
To: LES
His leave this Spring is also contingt on our being able to
find someone to teach CS224.
∂15-Feb-78 1644 JMC leave
To: CCG
CC: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
Your leave for this Spring is also contingent on our being able
to find someone to teach CS224.
∂15-Feb-78 0015 JMC Herrero
To: SSO
Your visitor is Dr. Herrero of ITT Europe. He is interested in
improving their software. We want them to join the forum and pay
$9000 per year. He has in mind other mutually beneficial arrangements.
I have mentioned that perhaps some of their people could visit for
some months or a year, but there will be costs above their salaries.
I doubt that some of his ideas, such as software contracts, are attractive
to us.
∂14-Feb-78 2225 JMC
To: CCG
I have to check with Les on whether we can afford all that.
∂14-Feb-78 1827 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
For your information:
∂14-Feb-78 1156 CCG leave
I have decided to accept your offer of support and to take the title
of assistant professor on leave. I will stay at the lab, receive salary
from the Arpa contract and my NSF grant. I would like the leave to begin
the end of march. I won't be teaching CS224, so a replacement should be found as
soon as possible. I believe Nils did it last year, in cooperation with Ed.
I will be supervising my remaining 9 graduate students, completing the PSI
book, getting a JACM paper out, and doing some interviewing/traveling.
My main obligation is to the nearly-finished graduate students and to the
technical success of the project.
Thanks
Cordell
∂13-Feb-78 2338 JMC
To: RAK
Put Dr. Lowell Wood, Lawrence Livermore Lab on the mailing list.
∂13-Feb-78 2337 JMC Sundesert
To: LLW
I am involved in a campaign, somewhat at the instigation
of Edward Teller, to persuade the Assembly to follow the Senate
in exempting Sundesert. If you need background it's in
SUNDES[SEN,JMC] and SENSE.F78[SEN,JMC]. It occurs to me that
many people working in other energy technologies, e.g. solar,
agree that nuclear energy is necessary too and that a statement
from such people would be effective. Do you know the opinion
of other people working in solar energy?
∂13-Feb-78 2324 JMC
To: RAK
I don't know him. Maybe he was a visitor that year or maybe Taylor
misread a name.
Not only Panofsky but also George Pake who is the present
president of APS, but I think now that it is
insufficiently tactful and should be deleted.
∂13-Feb-78 2307 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Please give Bob Floyd a copy of the following:
∂13-Feb-78 2114 DEK message from south america
To: JMC, feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
after reading the manna letters, i am pleased to support his appointment
to a tenure position. burstall and wegbreit were a bit cool but taken as
a whole the case looks excellent to me and should make it successfully
through the h+s committee with no more than the usual long hassle.
∂13-Feb-78 2300 JMC
To: RAK
Thanks much for that. If Les is around, he can help.
∂13-Feb-78 2236 JMC SENSE meeting
To: RAK
See what you think of SENSE.F78[SEN,JMC] as a call to a meeting.
Could you check the date with Tom Connolly and if it's ok, call
a meeting? The file SENSE.PUB[SEN,JMC] is an address list that
PUBs to a form that can be Xeroxed onto a sheet of mailing labels.
The addresses need to be looked at and compared with directories.
Russ Taylor didn't do to good a job of getting even the names
accurately, but I think I've got most of the bugs.
∂12-Feb-78 1615 JMC
To: berliner at CMU-10A
CC: LES
Yes, we will pay for a trip of a week's duration. It would help
spread the cost if you would give a talk about some AI topic. I agree
that it would be good if you came for the oral too, and we'll see what
we can do.
∂12-Feb-78 0020 JMC
To: REF
Thanks, I'll try that example, but perhaps you'll get it first.
∂10-Feb-78 1144 JMC
To: DEW
That is sufficient information, and I have, of course, been expecting
to read the thesis.
∂10-Feb-78 0925 JMC
To: BS
Yes, it's ok with me. I suggest you send a message to all faculty about
the advantages of advance notice.
∂09-Feb-78 1748 JMC
To: DEW
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Wilkins David a73 (Working on dissertation. Working title is:
Complete Problem Solving Using a Large Knowledge Base
Readers are: GREEN NILSSON)
∂09-Feb-78 1748 JMC
To: AMR
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Robinson Andrew a76 ((Hasn't passed Comprehensive.))
∂09-Feb-78 1746 JMC
To: REP
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Pattis Richard E a76 (Candidacy required by June. Completed.)
∂09-Feb-78 1742 JMC
To: HPM
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Moravec Hans a71 ((Needs to do Orals.))
∂09-Feb-78 1733 JMC
To: REF
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Filman Robert E a76 (Candidacy required by June. Completed.)
∂09-Feb-78 1731 JMC
To: PMF
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Farmwald Paul a74 ((Needs working title.) (Needs Reading
∂09-Feb-78 1730 JMC
To: JB
Gray Tuesday is Feb.14, and this is what the CSD records think of you.
What's your plan.
Bulnes Juan a71 ((Needs to do Orals.))
∂09-Feb-78 1508 JMC
To: RAK
See SUNDES[SEN,JMC].
∂08-Feb-78 2249 JMC
To: DCL
It would also allow me to attend.
∂08-Feb-78 2152 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Laurie:
Please print out this note from Don Knuth and see that Bob Floyd
gets a copy. He doesn't log in here often enough for direct
transmission to be reliable.
∂08-Feb-78 2128 DEK baskett
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM, JMC
after serious consideration i am of opinion that forest baskett
is too unique and valuable a person to lose. i favor the idea of
making him associate prof with tenure, 50-50 in cs and ee.
we will have probably the only cs pprof in the world who has built
an operating system as well as taught about them, who has the best
ability of anybody i know to direct students in system building,
and who has a solid theoretical background besides. he has
also turned out an incredible number of good phd's in a short time.
i sat in on his classes several times and was impressed by the new
material he was developing for the course. unfortuantely we loaded him
up with so many students he didnt get to write a book on the subject,
but i believe this hasn't hurt his reputation too badly.
so the main thing to do now is start soliciting letters of recommendation
for him.
i guess the way to get his appointment joint with ee when they have no
slots is to make mccluskey 50-50 also. that is fine with me,
since i always thought he was 50-50. besides, last year i had occasion
to study his textbooks carefully and i was impressed at the masterful
exposition in them. i also feel that he has gotten into the
swing of contemporary circuit design now although for some years
he was perhaps too locked in to older style switching theory...
that probably isnt a fair criticism judging by the excellent students
he has turned out. in summary, i see a better future in having forest
50-50 for best future relationship between cs and ee,
and i think we should go all out to keep him at stanford.
incidentally, as you may guess, i have spoken with linvill shortly
before writing this note! but i found his comments convincing; in my
earlier conversation with jmc i doubted that ee
was billetless, because of two slots i didnt know they had filled.
the new situation in which retirements don't apparently
start at 65 means that the number of new slots opening up is happening
slower than it appeared last year it would.
forests other offer is from ut austin, according to linvill. lets not
lose him please! even during my sabbatical i will take time to write
a strong letter for his file.
∂08-Feb-78 1815 JMC memo to Massy
To: PAT
Dear Bill:
The concerned group's Jan. 25 memo on "Word Processing Technology"
somehow fell into my hands, and I wish to express skepticism about
the proposal to declare a moratorium on new stand-alone systems and
appoint a director. I suspect another bureaucracy struggling to be
born. The proposal promises to accomplish nothing specific - only to
regulate what others may accomplish.
cc: Miller, Rich, Rosenzweig, Smith
∂08-Feb-78 1615 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
The A and P committee has a file of letters that have been received
concerning Manna's proposed appointment. Copies were sent to senior
faculty in residence. Copies should also go to Knuth.
∂08-Feb-78 1302 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Please send Don Knuth letters on Manna.
∂08-Feb-78 1119 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
I suggest you call Queenette Baur, the LOTS secretary, to arrange it.
Mike Byron or J.Q. Johnson could probably do it.
∂08-Feb-78 1013 JMC
To: PAT
I presume Knoles is really Ellen Nold.
∂07-Feb-78 2029 JMC
To: LES
The file is names[1,vew]
∂07-Feb-78 1946 JMC
To: JMB
Thanks for the address.
∂04-Feb-78 1832 JMC Note to Cartwright.
To: PAT
Dear corky:
Look at the paper by Mitchell Wand in the Jan. 78 CACM for
another claim of the inadequacy of first order logic.
∂04-Feb-78 1830 JMC
To: RSC
See the paper by Wand in January JACM.
∂03-Feb-78 2311 JMC
To: WD
It looks like it won't be necessary to take the slides to Berkeley.
∂03-Feb-78 1919 JMC favor
To: WD
Will you be down here this weekend, and could you take some slides
to Berkeley for Vera?
∂02-Feb-78 2340 JMC
To: EJG
Call Polly.
∂02-Feb-78 2213 JMC
To: JMB
Can you get me the address of Richard Shuey of G.E.
∂01-Feb-78 1321 JMC note to Minker
To: PAT
Do you know any reason why I shouldn't send the enclosed? Aizerman
was my host on several visits to the Institute of Problems of
Control where Lerner formerly worked. He is of the same age as
Lerner and had a similar scientific career.
[The letter to aizerman is aizerma.le1.
∂01-Feb-78 1224 JMC
To: LES
Stu Nelson says that SC would like a copy of the memory RFP.
∂01-Feb-78 1130 JMC
To: PAT
Please send Bill Musgrave at Datamation a copy of the Stanford
Press release on the Quasar robot. There is a copy in my Quasar
file you can xerox.
∂31-Jan-78 0852 JMC
To: BS
That would be it, I think.
∂31-Jan-78 0516 JMC Introducing functions in FOL
To: RWW
When one has prove ∀x y. ∃!z.P(x,y,z), one should be able
to introduce f (a new function constant) and have
∀x y.P(x,y,f(x,y)). Any statement proved using the function
constant should be dependent on the assumptions of ∀x y ∃!z.P(x,y,z),
and they should be undischargable as long as f is in the formula.
This should be doable without metamathematics.
It seems to me that there are proofs that are arbitrarily longer
without the device than with it.
∂30-Jan-78 2208 JMC memos for Boyer
To: PAT
Please send Bob Boyer at SRI 2 copies each of "minimal reasoning",
"ascribing mental qualities", and "First order theories of individual
concepts".
∂30-Jan-78 1643 JMC audit
To: BS
Jerry Lieberman told me that the Defense Auditing Agency has
chosen Computer Science and Statistics to be audited at Stanford.
∂30-Jan-78 1036 JMC
To: LES
CC: MRC
Les, make sure Ryland knows what we have ordered from Vadic.
∂29-Jan-78 1328 JMC location of 3's
To: REF
z=1,y=1,x=3,4,5
x=2,y=2,z=2,3,4
x=1,z=5,y=3,4,5
or a symmetry thereof.
∂29-Jan-78 0142 JMC patterns
To: DEW
The pattern we discussed of an overloaded collection of pieces is an
example of a recursive pattern. It would be interesting to see the
form a production takes that uses a recursive pattern for input.
∂29-Jan-78 0124 JMC
To: BH, ME
Ignore previous message.
∂29-Jan-78 0013 JMC
To: BH, ME
NS is down
∂28-Jan-78 1932 JMC
To: PAT
Please copy article about Quasar on bulletin board and send to Minsky.
∂28-Jan-78 1649 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
It's just another fairly reasonable article, except for the fact that
it assumes that we went after Quasar before we knew they had faked
their store demos. In fact we intended to investigate before going
public.
∂28-Jan-78 0049 JMC mail
To: LES, BH
It would be nice if the message telling a user that he has mail would
distinguish whether he is a primary recipient or is merely getting a copy.
∂28-Jan-78 0003 JMC
To: MRC
Same question w/r Columbia?
∂27-Jan-78 2352 JMC
To: MRC
CC: LES
That's fine, but can Rutgers-10 equip itself with a pair of compatible
modems?
∂27-Jan-78 2106 JMC letter to justice department
To: minsky at MIT-AI, reid at CMU-10B
Somehow the letter was mailed back here from M.I.T. rather than on to
the Justice Department and arrived only a few days ago. Anyway I sent
it off to the Justice Department without further ado.
∂27-Jan-78 2102 JMC MRC and Sato's thesis.
To: RCM
MRC has his problems all right, and if he had been hired for general systems
programming they would be more serious than they are. However, his job is
just to do Dialnet, and that is part of his trouble, because the others are
reluctant to let him modify the system as freely as he would like. I also
received the printed version of Sato's thesis, but thanks.
∂27-Jan-78 0959 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Yes, it's ok.
∂27-Jan-78 0957 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
Sure, let me consult Vera, and I'll get back to you.
∂26-Jan-78 1625 JMC
To: DCL
I am interested in Harel seminar, because he has been recommended for
a position in the department of which I am acting chairman. I teach
from 11:00 to 12:15 on Tuesday. Apart from that I will come.
∂26-Jan-78 1034 JMC
To: RWW
R FOL loses instantly.
∂25-Jan-78 2215 JMC
To: feigenbaum at SUMEX-AIM
CC: DEK
I agree with Don that it would be bad to lose the space in Jacks Hall,
and it is important to merge the CS Library into the Math Library. I
will send a memo to the Administration to that effect.
∂24-Jan-78 1922 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
I apologize for my handwriting, but two names (which
may be referred to in the future) were
Butler Lampson, a computer scientist at Xerox PARC, and
Bernard (Bernie) Galler, at the University of Michigan.
∂24-Jan-78 1048 JMC
To: hart at SRI-KL
See you then.
∂24-Jan-78 0950 JMC
To: hart at SRI-KL
OK, how about tomorrow lunch at SRI. I haven't visited SRI in quite
some time.
∂23-Jan-78 1026 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
I think not. We have plenty to discuss, so it won't matter much
if it takes a while to get the food.
∂22-Jan-78 1630 JMC Time spent waiting for the computer.
To: DCL, SMG, RAK
CC: LES
According to my computation, DCL spent 8.64% of the time he was
logged in waiting for the computer during the first half of January,
and SMG spent 2.1% of the time he was logged in waiting. The crude
calculation involves just multiplying the CPU% over logged in time
by the load factor. The champion waiter is Leland Smith who spent
15% of his logged in time waiting for the computer.
I regard this estimate as rather crude and would welcome suggestions
as to other ways of measuring the quantity, but it certainly indicates
that no-one would be much more productive if the computer were
faster except that maybe people are deterred by objectively small
but subjectively large amounts of waiting. In particular, time
spent waiting for an outcome one fears will be unsuccessful,
whether because of a machine or system failure or one's own bug,
must subjectively count as a larger amount of waiting.
∂20-Jan-78 1530 JMC
To: TOB
I will talk to Denny.
∂20-Jan-78 0905 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I have just written a letter to the people mentioned in lisp.le1[let,jmc],
and I suppose it will go out today or Monday. Ah, if I could only get away
with just glancing at the interpreters.
∂20-Jan-78 0036 JMC
To: LES
I favor 2. You need to get acquainted with the new Blue, however.
What fraction must be paid by the individual? If the ARPA bureaucrats
are doing it to themselves, I suppose we'll have to acquiesce.
∂19-Jan-78 2155 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
Yes, may I phone now?
∂19-Jan-78 2132 JMC
To: minsky at MIT-AI
If you have comments on Green, say so, and I'll phone. Meeting Friday.
∂19-Jan-78 2119 JMC
To: PAT
Please decorate and send out lisp.le1[let,jmc].
∂19-Jan-78 1755 JMC
To: REF
OK, call Boyer and propose a different time.
∂19-Jan-78 1755 JMC
To: BPM
McCluskey didn't come to the meeting today. I'll try him at the meeting
tomorrow.
∂19-Jan-78 0101 JMC more on TAUT bug
To: RWW
show proof after ru block2[w78,jmc] will show great destruction caused
by an unsuccessful TAUTEQ.
∂19-Jan-78 0048 JMC Bug in FOL
To: RWW
RU BLOCK1[w78,jmc]
show proof 14;
[it replies "clear(C,S0) ≡ ∀x.¬on(x,C,S0)" which is correct]
taut 14:#2;
[it replies NOT A TAUTOLOGY which is correct]
show proof 14;
[it replies "clear(C,S0) ≡" indicating that
the right side of statement 14 has been destroyed by the
mistaken attempt to prove it by TAUT].
A subsequent
taut 14: 14;
leads to a fatal error and a request to call RWW. This bug doesn't
make FOL unusable, because the clobbered statement can be cancelled,
although I supppose it would be fatal if the statement that got
clobbered wasn't at the end of the proof.
∂18-Jan-78 2246 JMC Boyer-Moore seminar
To: REF
See pages 8, 10 and 11 of my mail file. It seems to me that Friday the 27th
at 1pm would be good. If that is ok, would you announce a special AI Lab
seminar? Otherwise, let me know, and I'll renegotiate with them.
∂18-Jan-78 2242 JMC
To: boyer at SRI-KL
27th looks good to me. How about 1pm AI Lab. I would expect about
10 people including probably Robin Milner who will be visiting from
Edinburgh.
∂18-Jan-78 2008 JMC
To: boyer at SRI-KL
I would much like to be shown the proofs. How about next week some time?
∂18-Jan-78 1605 JMC
To: *
Objections, if any, to converting one of the user disk packs to
a system pack should go to JMC.
∂17-Jan-78 1935 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
The following is my only address. I suggest both another letter and
a telegram.
Dr. Herbert Stoyan
DDR 806 Dresden
Togliattistr. 40
East Germany
∂16-Jan-78 2055 JMC Dialer
To: TED
It often claims that TTY11 is busy when there is no other evidence
that it is.
∂16-Jan-78 1320 JMC
To: *
Robin Milner will be here Jan. 25 to Feb. 1
∂16-Jan-78 1259 JMC title for Slagle
To: PAT
It is "Treatment of patterns in mathematical logic".
∂16-Jan-78 1238 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
Well that won't do. I meant previous letters to Mrs. Forsythe
who is my personal friend as well as the personal friend of
Ed Feigenbaum and Bob Floyd. I'll come in tomorrow and see
what I can figure out.
∂16-Jan-78 0945 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
No. Please try to write one on the basis of preceding such letters,
and I'll try to improve it or else start over.
∂16-Jan-78 0943 JMC
To: levin at SUMEX-AIM
No. Please try to write one on the basis of preceding such letters,
and I'll try to improve it.
∂15-Jan-78 2324 JMC
To: PAT
Did I send Carl Hewitt the LISP history paper in the last week?
∂15-Jan-78 2324 JMC
To: carl at MIT-AI
I haven't looked again but will soon. I think I sent the paper but will
check.
∂16-Jan-78 2057 JMC
To: TED
DIALER should say what job it thinks has TTY11.
∂26-Jan-78 1037 JMC
To: RWW
So does R FOLOLD. Both give NIL<CR> UNDEFINED FUNCTION.
∂19-Feb-78 1214 JMC
To: DEA
The problem is discussed and solved in Vaughan Pratt's CGOL manual,
CGOL.PRA[UP,DOC] page 26.
∂29-Mar-78 1236 JMC
To: BS
I need this in time to complete the forms by Monday.