R help - Apr 2003 - Scalar vs. vector

Do these statements yield identical types of objects?
   x = 3
and
   y = c(3)

That is, intrinsically, is x, like y, a vector of length one, but created 
with abbreviated syntax?

More simply: Are scalars really trivial vectors?

Thanks.
-chris

On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Chris Fehily wrote:
> Do these statements yield identical types of objects?
>    x = 3
> and
>    y = c(3)
> 
> That is, intrinsically, is x, like y, a vector of length one, but created 
> with abbreviated syntax?
Yes.  c() is a function which here is doing nothing useful.
> More simply: Are scalars really trivial vectors?
Thare are no scalar variables in S.  Since there are vectors of length 
zero, those of length one are not `really trivial' in comparison.

-- 
Brian D. Ripley,                  ripley at stats.ox.ac.uk
Professor of Applied Statistics,  http://www.stats.ox.ac.uk/~ripley/
University of Oxford,             Tel:  +44 1865 272861 (self)
1 South Parks Road,                     +44 1865 272866 (PA)
Oxford OX1 3TG, UK                Fax:  +44 1865 272595

Chris Fehily <fehily at pacbell.net> writes:
> Do these statements yield identical types of objects?
>    x = 3
> and
>    y = c(3)
> 
> That is, intrinsically, is x, like y, a vector of length one, but
> created with abbreviated syntax?
No, y is like x, a vector of length one, only created with an overly
long-winded syntax... 

(c() is for *concatenation*)
> More simply: Are scalars really trivial vectors?
Yes.

-- 
   O__  ---- Peter Dalgaard             Blegdamsvej 3  
  c/ /'_ --- Dept. of Biostatistics     2200 Cph. N   
 (*) \(*) -- University of Copenhagen   Denmark      Ph: (+45) 35327918
~~~~~~~~~~ - (p.dalgaard at biostat.ku.dk)             FAX: (+45) 35327907

Yes, scalars are really trivial vectors.

On Mon, 7 Apr 2003, Chris Fehily wrote:
> Do these statements yield identical types of objects?
>    x = 3
> and
>    y = c(3)
>
> That is, intrinsically, is x, like y, a vector of length
> one, but created with abbreviated syntax?
>
> More simply: Are scalars really trivial vectors?
>
> Thanks.
> -chris
>