summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
path: root/info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
authorNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
committerNorbert Preining <norbert@preining.info>2019-09-02 13:46:59 +0900
commite0c6872cf40896c7be36b11dcc744620f10adf1d (patch)
tree60335e10d2f4354b0674ec22d7b53f0f8abee672 /info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex
Initial commit
Diffstat (limited to 'info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex')
-rw-r--r--info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex164
1 files changed, 164 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex b/info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cd2385f80
--- /dev/null
+++ b/info/ltx3pub/mfgorg.tex
@@ -0,0 +1,164 @@
+%%% ====================================================================
+%%% @LaTeX-file{
+%%% author = "Alan Jeffrey",
+%%% version = "0.02",
+%%% date = "3 Aug 1993",
+%%% time = "20:02:05 BST",
+%%% filename = "mfgorg.tex",
+%%% address = "School of Cognitive and Computing Sciences
+%%% University of Sussex
+%%% Brighton BN1 9QH
+%%% UK",
+%%% telephone = "+44 273 606755 x 3238",
+%%% FAX = "+44 273 678188",
+%%% checksum = "42972 164 683 5612",
+%%% email = "alanje@cogs.sussex.ac.uk",
+%%% codetable = "ISO/ASCII",
+%%% keywords = "TeX fonts mathematics",
+%%% supported = "yes",
+%%% abstract = "This is a note on MFG organization",
+%%% docstring = "The checksum field above contains a CRC-16
+%%% checksum as the first value, followed by the
+%%% equivalent of the standard UNIX wc (word
+%%% count) utility output of lines, words, and
+%%% characters. This is produced by Robert
+%%% Solovay's checksum utility.",
+%%% package = "stands alone",
+%%% dependencies = "none",
+%%% }
+%%% ====================================================================
+
+\documentstyle{ltugboat}
+
+\title{Note on math font group organization}
+
+\author{Alan Jeffrey}
+\address{University of Sussex}
+\netaddress{alanje@cogs.susx.ac.uk}
+
+\def\rtitlex{MFG discussion document}
+\def\midrtitle{{\sl Task 1: Organization\/}}
+\setcounter{page}{1}
+
+\begin{document}
+
+\maketitle
+
+This note is based on an electronic mail discussion between
+Alan Jeffrey and Justin Ziegler. Our suggested breakdown of tasks for
+the math font group (MFG) is:
+\begin{enumerate}
+
+\item {\em Organization\/}: writing papers such as this one, about the
+ structure and direction of the group.
+
+\item {\em Requirements analysis\/}: looking at the needs and current
+ practice of mathematical typesetting, and setting (perhaps
+ unachievable!) goals.
+
+\item {\em Technical studies\/}: individual technical analysis, with
+ clear conclusions and stating the advantages and disadvantages of
+ the approaches investigated.
+
+\item {\em Standardization\/}: recording the WG's decisions,
+ leading towards the proposal of new math font encodings and
+ related standards.
+
+\item {\em Implementation\/}: designing
+ software to support the new encodings.
+
+\end{enumerate}
+These are only rough suggestions, all better suggestions welcomed!
+We might want to break each task down into subtasks.
+Organization could include:
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item {\em Statement of purpose\/}: a one-page document setting out the
+ WG's aims.
+
+\item {\em Outlining goals\/}: general papers like this one.
+
+\item {\em Setting timetables\/}: completion dates for these
+ goals.
+
+\end{itemize}
+Requirements analysis could include:
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item {\em Common mathematical usage\/}: what features
+ are common across different subjects?
+
+\item {\em Specific mathematical
+ usage\/}: what features are specific to particular
+ subjects? (For example setting of scripts on roman letters in
+ chemistry, multiletter identifiers in computer science\ldots)
+
+\item {\em Non-mathematical usage\/}: what is math mode used for other
+ than for mathematics? (For example, setting computer programs,
+ fractions, footnote markers, trademark signs\ldots)
+
+\item {\em Compatability\/}: how compatible should a new encoding be with
+ Knuth's?
+
+\item {\em Extensions\/}: what new symbols and other features
+ are users crying out for?
+
+\item {\em Non-CM fonts\/}: what are the requirements for users of non-CM
+ fonts (for example PostScript outline fonts).
+
+\end{itemize}
+Technical studies could include:
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item {\em The current state of \TeX\/}: what are the good and bad points
+ of \TeX's current mathematical typesetting?
+
+\item {\em The limitations of \TeX\/}: what restrictions does \TeX\
+ make to mathematical typesetting? (For example, the math spacing
+ table in Chapter 18 of \TB\ is hard-wired, Appendix~G of \TB\
+ overloads many font dimensions\ldots)
+
+\item {\em Prototype implementations\/}: each part of the standard should
+ be $\alpha$-tested before standardization.
+
+\item {\em Studying requirements\/}: work on problems suggested by the
+ requirements analysis task.
+
+\end{itemize}
+Standardization could include:
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item {\em Font encodings\/}: this is probably the most important
+ point!
+
+\item {\em Encoding vectors\/}: naming all the symbols as PostScript
+ encoding vectors.
+
+\item {\em Font information\/}: any new font dimensions, kerning
+ information, charlists, and so on.
+
+\item {\em (\La)\TeX\ interface\/}: how the fonts can be used in
+ (\La)\TeX, for example giving default control sequence names for
+ each glyph.
+
+\end{itemize}
+Implementation could include:
+\begin{itemize}
+
+\item {\em \slMF\ programs\/}: implementing of the encodings using
+ character shapes based on \verb|cmmi|, \verb|cmsy| and \verb|cmex|.
+
+\item {\em \TeX\ programs\/}: a replacement for \verb|plain.tex|, and
+ document styles for using the font encodings with \LaTeX.
+
+\item {\em VPL manipulation tools\/}: to help install Non-CM fonts, we
+ may need general virtual font manipulators.
+
+\item {\em Benchmarks\/}: equivalents of the \verb|trip.tex|
+ and \verb|testfont.tex| tests for the new encodings.
+
+\end{itemize}
+
+\makesignature
+
+\end{document}