HP35s RPN Series # 3 [ENTER]

[MarkHaysHarris777]

(02-18-2015 08:36 PM)Don Shepherd Wrote:  There is just something "elegant" (shall I say) about separating your two numbers with the ENTER key and then specifying what you want to do with them.

Yes, I agree. I've explained it that way in the past, as well. The problem comes up though that 'infix' calculators do that too: 4 + 3 = 7 ... the (+) separates the two numbers just fine. What's the difference (I'm speaking tongue in cheek, devil's advocate). Well, obviously, the stack is the difference. Its not that 'postfix' is better; its that RPN uses a stack, and stack manipulators (like the [ENTER] key) make for more efficient control of arithmetic in a hand-held calculator.

Most of our students today frankly don't know enough about what's going on in their calculator to appreciate the RPN stack (usually). The TI and Casio systems with 'pretty print' and AOS, CAS, etc, are making that worse. <sigh>

Cheers,
marcus