Alex Shinn scripsit:

> Some historic Lisps had no limit, but this is not practical in a
> Scheme standard so RnRS arbitrarily chose N=4.

Well, for historical reasons.  PDP-6 Lisp (1966), which is the common
ancestor of Interlisp, Common Lisp, and Scheme, had the N<=4 procedures.
See page 4 of AIM-098.  That's the earliest I can trace them back:
Basic PDP-1 Lisp (1964) was still N=1, like the original Lisp 1.5.
The unlimited-N systems (including mine) were branches off this main stem.

--
A few times, I did some exuberant stomping about,       John Cowan
like a hippo auditioning for Riverdance, though         cowan@ccil.org
I stopped when I thought I heard something at           http://ccil.org/~cowan
the far side of the room falling over in rhythm
with my feet.  --Joseph Zitt

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