A (Cybernetic) Musing: Wholes and Parts, Chapter 1

摘要

Editorial remarks: This is Ranulph Glanville's last column for CHK. He passed away in the middle of our usual dialogue and negotiations about length and content. He was in and out of hospital while this conversation was going on. Suddenly he did not reply and Aartje Hulstein told me he had died peacefuly. But even in hospital they had talked about his answers to my questions. We knew time was short as we worked along, but had no idea that it was so short. He died as he lived, working and producing in high spirit. Thus, only the first of his column's two planed halves were finished. And even that was not quite finished. But Aartje Hulstein, Albert Mueller and Bernard Scott helped to fill in the holes, mostly references and the like. So, here it is "with a little help from his friends." It is only the first chapter of the two planned, he never had time to work on the second chapter, after which he planned to retire from writing the column. Retire he did, in his own definite way. Thus both life and column was cut short. His contribution to CHK was unique and it and he will be deeply missed. We will be publishing a Festschrift issue in his honor soon. S.B.