[r-t] Decisions / Algorithms for generating the extent

[edward martin]

On 6/20/06, Philip Earis <Earisp at rsc.org> wrote:

> Reading the online version of
> Tintinnalogia, it's very interesting to see how the 'algorithm' of plain
> changes is introduced as an iterative way of generating the extent on n
> bells.
>
> What other, more dynamic, ways would people use to do the same thing?
>
It's the next step, but when I first studied the Tintinnalogia it
occurred to me that it also illustrated that plain hunting the treble
on n bells through the extent on n-1 gave us those early extents of
Minor etc which were basically what we now call Plain Bob but needed
so many different types of single actually to be rung.
I can see where Philip is coming from (I think) reading that book the
author's enthusiasm is contageous, he was so excited, there were NO
restrictions really, so we get plain changes, and all sorts of radical
ideas check out how he was really turned on by Grandsire Doubles
particularly it's application to the leadings of the treble in plain
hunt minor (the next tremendous step in generating the extent)  Nine
years later Stedman is even more enthused writing page after page of
how many different teams of horses etc he was really hooked on what at
the time was surely 200 years ahead of 'group theory'

Sorry about taking this thread way off topic in this & my recent
postings but may I just conclude that the online version of
Tintinnalogia is actually taken from the second edition, the first
edition was published in 1668. However, apart from the title pages,
the contents of the two editions of the book are identical

Hope to meet some of you in Worcester or over the next three weeks we
are in the UK (Wales mostly)
mew