Ambiguity Quote by Kenneth E. Iverson

Although mathematical notation undoubtedly possesses parsing rules, they are rather loose, sometimes contradictory, and seldom clearly stated. [...] The proliferation of programming languages shows…

— Kenneth E. Iverson

With the computer and programming languages, mathematics has newly-acquired tools, and its notation should be reviewed in the light of them. The computer may,…

— Kenneth E. Iverson

I was eventually persuaded of the need to design programming notations so as to maximize the number of errors which cannot be made, or…

— Tony Hoare

Secondly, figures, the symbols of numerical magnitude, are frequently also the symbols of operations, as when they are the indices of powers. Wherever terms…

— Ada Lovelace

Most programming languages are decidedly inferior to mathematical notation and are little used as tools of thought in ways that would be considered significant…

— Kenneth E. Iverson

The properties of executability and universality associated with programming languages can be combined, in a single language, with the well-known properties of mathematical notation…

— Kenneth E. Iverson

This ambiguity is another example of a growing problem with mathematical notation: There aren't enough squiggles to go around.

— Jim Blinn

It is easier to write an incorrect program than understand a correct one.

— Alan Perlis

Programming is all about numbers.

— Shigeru Miyamoto

“calculator (with reverse Polish notation),”

— Graham Parke

Requirements in mathematical language are no use unless they are easier to read than the code.

— David Parnas

“Remember that code is really the language in which we ultimately express the requirements. We may create languages that are closer to the requirements.…

— Robert C. Martin