<html><head><meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark"></head><body><pre style="word-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">\title{Letters to the editor 1: Maths in \protect\LaTeX, Part 3}
\author{Philip Taylor}
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I am delighted to see the esteemed Professor Bailey so wholeheartedly
deprecate the re-definition of a Plain \TeX\ command by an adjunct package
(\AMSTeX); what is less clear is why she does not vent the same spleen
on the author(s) of \LaTeX, who have pre-empted many more fundamental
commands than just \verb|\emptyset|.

Yours etc,

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\begin{quote}
  \emph{The author replies:} I think that there is some confusion
  here, as well as a difference of opinion.  I was complaining about a
  redefinition in the file {\tt amstex.sty}, which is a package
  explicitly for use with the \LaTeX\ format. That is a different
  matter from a redefinition in a format file, such as \AMSTeX.

  In my opinion there is a world of difference between changing the
  definition of the name of a glyph, which any author may want to
  use, and changing the definition of a programming command. The
  former should absolutely not happen, because it affects people who
  have no idea how to get round it. I am agnostic about the latter,
  but would not be surprised if it were necessary in a format file.

  \rightline{R.~A.~Bailey, QMW}
\end{quote}


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