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== Design discussion for permutations and discrete functions ==

This is about permutations, and more generally about functions between finite sets.


Desirable features:

(1) Python mantra: an object which looks like a list should behave like a list.
   I.e. if the users sees::
    {{{
       sage: p = ...
       sage: p
       [4,1,3,2]
    }}}
   Then he will expect::
    {{{
       sage: p[0]
       4
    }}}

(2) The user should be able to manipulate permutations (functions) of
    any finite set, and manipulate them as is, without reindexing::
     {{{
       sage: F = Functions([3,4,8])
       sage: F.list()
       [3,3,3]
       [3,3,4]
       [3,3,8]
       ...
       [8,8,8]
       sage: p = F([8,3,4])
       [8,3,4]
     }}}

    In particular, whatever the syntax is, one want to be able to do::
     {{{
       sage: p of 3
       8
       sage: p of 3 = 4
       sage: p
       [4,3,4]
     }}}

    It is important to have short notations for readability of the
    algorithms. Write access (with surrounding mutability mantra)
    is necessary as well.

(3) Permutations(n) should be Permutations([1,...,n])

(4) Internally, permutations could be implemented as permutations of
   [0...n-1] for speed (future cythonization)

    It's in fact a typical design situation: internal implementations
    using 0...n indexing (cf. matrix, FreeModule, dynkin diagrams,
    Family, ...) + views on them indexed by whatever is convenient for
    the user.

Potential solutions:

 - Current one::
    {{{
      sage: p = DiscreteFunction([3,1,2])
      sage: p[0]
      3
      sage: p[0] = 1; p[1] = 3 # actually not implemented
      sage: p
      [1,3,2]
    }}}

   Caveat: breaks (2)

 - Use indexed access starting at 1 (or whatever the smallest letter is)::
    {{{
      sage: p = DiscreteFunction([3,1,2])
      sage: p[1]
      3
      sage: p[1] = 1; p[2] = 3 # actually not implemented
      sage: p
      [1,3,2]
    }}}
   Breaks (1)

 - Use functional notation::
    {{{
      sage: p = DiscreteFunction([3,1,2])
      sage: p(1)
      3
      sage: p(1) = 1; p(2) = 3 # actually not implemented
      sage: p
      [1,3,2]
    }}}

   Caveat: requires patching Sage (no __setcall__ analoguous to __setitem__)
   In the mean time, we could use p.set(1, 1) (lengthy notation)

 -