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== Contributions to APL and J ==
== Contributions to APL and J ==


McDonnell suggested the symbol <source lang=apl inline>×</source> for [[Signum]] and designed the [[Circle function]] (<source lang=apl inline>○</source>) as a way to unify trigonometric and hyperbolic functions<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/storyofo.htm "The Story of ○"].</ref>. He designed APL's [[complex Floor]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/complexfloor.htm "Complex Floor"].</ref> and suggested the extension of [[Or]] (<source lang=apl inline>∨</source>) and [[And]] (<source lang=apl inline>∧</source>) to [[GCD]] and [[LCM]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/gcd.htm "A Notation for the GCD and LCM Functions"].</ref>. He was also involved in the introduction of [[complex number]]s to [[SHARP APL]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/satn40.htm SATN-40: Complex Numbers].</ref>. His suggestion that zero divided by zero should be zero rather than one<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/0div0.htm "Zero Divided by Zero"].</ref> was later adopted by [[J]].
McDonnell suggested the symbol <syntaxhighlight lang=apl inline>×</syntaxhighlight> for [[Signum]] and designed the [[Circle function]] (<syntaxhighlight lang=apl inline>○</syntaxhighlight>) as a way to unify trigonometric and hyperbolic functions<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/storyofo.htm "The Story of ○"].</ref>. He designed APL's [[complex Floor]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/complexfloor.htm "Complex Floor"].</ref> and suggested the extension of [[Or]] (<syntaxhighlight lang=apl inline>∨</syntaxhighlight>) and [[And]] (<syntaxhighlight lang=apl inline>∧</syntaxhighlight>) to [[GCD]] and [[LCM]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/gcd.htm "A Notation for the GCD and LCM Functions"].</ref>. He was also involved in the introduction of [[complex number]]s to [[SHARP APL]]<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/satn40.htm SATN-40: Complex Numbers].</ref>. His suggestion that zero divided by zero should be zero rather than one<ref>McDonnell, Eugene. [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/0div0.htm "Zero Divided by Zero"].</ref> was later adopted by [[J]].


In 1988, McDonnell and [[Ken Iverson]] developed [[function train]] notation, one of the major innovations that spurred the creation of [[J]].
In 1988, McDonnell and [[Ken Iverson]] developed [[function train]] notation, one of the major innovations that spurred the creation of [[J]].
== Publications ==
=== APL conferences ===
{{Main|APL conference}}
* [[APL73]]: The variety of definitions of a simple function.
* [[APL74]]: The caret functions: Efficient algorithms for scans and reductions of eight Boolean functions.
* [[APL75]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/gcd.htm A notation for the GCD and LCM functions].
* [[APL76]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/0div0.htm Zero divided by zero].
* [[APL79]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/residue.htm Fuzzy residue].
* [[APL80]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/infinity.htm Extending APL to infinity]. With Jeffrey Shallit.
* [[IPSA '80]]: Commercial Applications for Event Handling.
* [[IPSA '82]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/functional.htm APL as a Functional Programming Language].
* [[APL85]]: Promoting APL (panel). With Patricia A. Buteux, Edward M. Cherlin, Percy Feiner, Jim Lucas, Michael Sunday, and Sheryl Winton.
* [[APL86]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/sqrt.htm A perfect square root routine].
* [[APL88]]: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/eem/life.htm Life: Nasty, brutish, and short].
* [[APL89]]: [http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/fork.htm Phrasal forms]. With [[Ken Iverson|K. E. Iverson]].
* [[APL90]]: [http://www.jsoftware.com/papers/J1990.htm APL\?]. With [[Roger Hui|Roger K. W. Hui]], [[Ken Iverson|Kenneth E. Iverson]], and [[Arthur Whitney|Arthur T. Whitney]].
* [[APL91]]: Tacit definition. With [[Roger Hui|Roger K. W. Hui]] and [[Ken Iverson|Kenneth E. Iverson]].
* [[APL93]]: From trees into boxes. With David Steinbrook.
=== SHARP APL Technical Notes ===
* SATN-40: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/satn40.htm Complex Numbers]. 1981-06-20.
* SATN-45: [https://www.jsoftware.com/papers/satn45.htm Language Extensions of May 1983] (with [[Bob Bernecky]], [[Ken Iverson]], Robert Metzger, and J. Henri Schueler). 1983-05-02.


== External links ==
== External links ==
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<references />
<references />
{{APL community}}{{DEFAULTSORT:McDonnell}}[[Category:People]][[Category:IBM employees]][[Category:I.P. Sharp Associates employees]][[Category:Designers]][[Category:Implementers]]

Latest revision as of 11:23, 16 December 2022

Eugene Edward McDonnell (October 18, 1926 – August 17, 2010) was an APL implementer and designer, and popularizer of APL and J. He edited the APL Quote-Quad column "Recreational APL" and wrote the "At Play with J" series of articles for Vector journal, and received the Iverson Award in 1987.

McDonnell, a programmer since 1954, joined IBM and first learned about Iverson notation in 1961, and joined Ken Iverson's group at IBM in 1968.[1] He left IBM for I.P. Sharp Associates in 1978, where he worked under Eric Iverson.[2]

Contributions to APL and J

McDonnell suggested the symbol × for Signum and designed the Circle function () as a way to unify trigonometric and hyperbolic functions[3]. He designed APL's complex Floor[4] and suggested the extension of Or () and And () to GCD and LCM[5]. He was also involved in the introduction of complex numbers to SHARP APL[6]. His suggestion that zero divided by zero should be zero rather than one[7] was later adopted by J.

In 1988, McDonnell and Ken Iverson developed function train notation, one of the major innovations that spurred the creation of J.

Publications

APL conferences

Main article: APL conference

SHARP APL Technical Notes

External links

References

  1. Anon. Candidates for STAPL Offices (excerpt). APL Quote-Quad, Volume 7, Number 4, Winter 1977.
  2. Hui, Roger. "Eugene McDonnell Quotations and Anecdotes".
  3. McDonnell, Eugene. "The Story of ○".
  4. McDonnell, Eugene. "Complex Floor".
  5. McDonnell, Eugene. "A Notation for the GCD and LCM Functions".
  6. McDonnell, Eugene. SATN-40: Complex Numbers.
  7. McDonnell, Eugene. "Zero Divided by Zero".
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