Combinator library gets software prize

[Jon Fairbairn]

On Sun, 21 Jan 2001, David Bakin wrote:

> This article is very good, and having read the conference paper earlier
> in the year I finished it with only one question:  What's a 'quant' ...
> and is it good or bad to be one?
>=20
>         "Ten years ago, Jean-Marc Eber, then a quant at Soci=E9t=E9
> G=E9n=E9rale, ..."

The OED has:

  1. A pole for propelling a barge, esp. one with a cap at
the top and a prong at the bottom to
prevent it from sinking in mud. Also attrib., as quant-pole.

and

  2. In a windmill:=20
  1924 Trans. Newcomen Soc. III. 42 All the framing and
gearing of these mills are of wood, the only important parts
of iron being the wrought iron gudgeons upon which the
shafts revolve, and perhaps the `quants' or spindles which
drove the runner stones.


So perhaps he was tall, thin and fond of wearing a cap?

 :-)

--=20
J=F3n Fairbairn                                 Jon.Fairbairn@cl.cam.ac.uk
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