C (programming language)/Tutorials

C Programming Language Tutorials

Truth values in C and the Iverson Bracket

Truth values in C can be simple integers. The C programming language is set up nicely to support the Iverson Bracket set notation. Iverson proposed that truth values should be numerical with true=1 and false=0. Actually 0=false in C and all non-zero values are True, even -1 is true in C.

zero     : false
non-zero : true

The following calculates the maximum of two numbers using an Iverson bracket formula in C.

The traditional Iverson bracket notation in algebra: [a>b] gives 1 or 0.

max = (a>=b)*a + (b<a)*b;     in C
============================= lets calculate using 6 and 7
7   = (6>=7)*6 + (7<6)*7      in algegra