Isn't "transitive" the wrong word?

[Brad Roberts]

On Fri, 4 Apr 2008, Walter Bright wrote:

> BCS wrote:
> > Walter Bright wrote:
> > > Janice Caron wrote:
> > > 
> > > > Sorry to go all grammar/mathematics nit-picky, but isn't "transitive"
> > > > completely the wrong word?
> > > 
> > > 
> > > No, it is used in this sense in academic papers on the subject.
> > 
> > That might not answer the question.
> > 
> > One question that should be asked (but it might be to late to ask) is; is
> > transitive the word that /should/ be used? Note that this is distinct from
> > the question of transitive being the world that /is/ used.
> 
> We should only invent new jargon if we're forced to. I don't see any
> compelling reason not to use transitive in the same form that academics use it
> to write papers about.

The term 'transitive' comes from the term 'transitive closure' used in 
graphs.  Data structures form a graph and so the term transitive applies 
quite well.

Later,
Brad