proposed extenstions to content MathML

Hello All.

Kyle Siegrist, who created the Virtual Laboratories in Probability and
Statistics web site <http://www.math.uah.edu/stat/>, recently
suggested the following extensions to me, as good candidates for a
MathML 3 update.  Prof. Siegrist writes:

 "Here is what I would love to see added to Content MathML:

   1. Binomial coefficient

   2. Permutation coefficient:  n(n -1)...(n - k + 1), usually
   rendered P(n, k) or nPk or (n)k.

   3. A probability operator with an optional "given" construction
   (for conditional probability).  Typical rendering would be
      P(A, B, ...) (without conditioning) or  P(A, B, ... | C, D, ...)
   (with conditioning).

   4. An expected value operator with an optional "given" construction
   (for conditional expected value).  Typical rendering would be E(A,
   B, ...) (without conditioning) or  E(A, B, ... | C, D, ...) (with
   conditioning).

   5. General union, to form the union of Ai over i = a to b, or the
   union of Ai where i is in an index set I.  This would work just
   like the sum construction, with a bound variable and with lower and
   upper limits, or with a bound variable and with a condition.

   6. Exactly like 5, but with intersection.

  If I had these extensions, I think that I could do just about
  everything that I wanted without going over to Presentation MathML.

  Items 3 and 4 (with the "given" construction) are really important in
  probability, statistics, and stochastic processes; conditional
  probability and expected value are central notions.  Ordinary
  probability and expected value can be done with the usual function
  ("apply") construction, but there is no way to do the conditioning
  without adding Presentation MathML as a kludge.

  I am really surprised that items 5 and 6 are not already present;
  they seem very natural and necessary for lots of areas of math."


Anyone want to second these proposals?  Or take issue with them?

--Robert

------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Robert Miner                                RobertM@dessci.com
W3C Math Interest Group co-chair                      651-223-2883
Design Science, Inc.   "How Science Communicates"   www.dessci.com
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Received on Friday, 6 May 2005 19:16:01 UTC