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On Thu, 13 Jan 2005 08:06:08 +1100, Rick Marshall <rjm@z...> wrote: <snip/> > and one final point - back to the sum is greater than the whole. i was > thinking about this in terms of an element algebra. group theory defines > a group by operations (verbs :) ) that when applied to members of the > group (usually, but i guess not necessarily, 2 members - could be > ternary operators) result in a member of the group. integer + integer => > integer. but if you have a group member you have no way of knowing if it > was derived by operation (and there may be an infinite number of > contruction operations), which one, or does it just exist in it's own > right. the number 4 as an integer has different properties to the > numbers 1 and 3, but can be constructed from them. Bad analogy Rick. In Group theory groups are, by definition, a set of elements (possibly infinite) that is closed over some operator. <snip/> -- Peter Hunsberger
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