I disagree with Chai-on slightly. Three equal signs usually means that two
things are always equal in an accounting sense, equal by the manner in
which things are defined, like saying that the budget deficit plus the
trade deficit is always equal to the difference between investment and saving.
A regular equality is usally used to signify a coningent equality, like an
equilibrium. The difference isn't between some notion of complete identity
and equality along one dimension.
Steve
At 05:16 AM 3/12/99 -0500, you wrote:
>---------- Forwarded message ----------
>Date: Fri, 12 Mar 1999 16:24:17 +0900
>From: Chai-on Lee <conlee@chonnam.chonnam.ac.kr>
>
>Jerry wrote:
>
>>Perhaps an alternative explanation might be that there is no necessary
>>suggestion that 100 pennies and 1 dollar are in all respects equal simply
>>because there is an equation and an "=" sign.
>>
>
>Chai-on:
>
>Sure. If they are equal in all respects, we have to use 'identity' sign
>that has three lines of -.
>Equation signifies an equality just in one respect only.
>
>"A pair of shoes = 10 us dollars" signifies that they are equal only in
>values.
>
>Why is this at issue by the way?
>
>In solidarity,
>
>Chai-on
>Professor of Economics,
>Dept. of Economics,
>Chonnam National University
>Kwang-ju, 500-757, S Korea.
>tel +82-62-530-1552
>fax +82-62-530-1559
>e-mail: conlee@chonnam.ac.kr
>homepage: http://cba.chonnam.ac.kr/~conlee/
>
>
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