New issue: LCM-NO-ARGUMENTS

[gls@Think.COM]

Issue:         LCM-NO-ARGUMENTS

References:    CLtL p. 202

Related issues: none

Category:      ADDITION

Edit history:  Version 1, Guy Steele 10/17/88

Problem description:

   CLtL incorrectly states that (lcm) should return infinity, and
   therefore specifies that giving lcm no arguments is an error.

   In point of mathematical fact, 1 is the identity for the lcm operation.

Proposal (LCM-NO-ARGUMENTS:1):  Define (lcm) to return the integer 1.

Examples:   (lcm) => 1

Test Cases:  (lcm) => 1

   Currently the behavior in this case is implementation-dependent.

Rationale:  Doing what is mathematically right.

Current practice:
   KCL signals an error.
   Lucid Lisp returns 1.
   Symbolics Common Lisp returns 1.

Cost to Implementors:  Pretty small (one-line fix).

Cost to Users:  None.

Cost of non-adoption:  Continued embarassment for Steele.

Performance impact:  Negligible.

Benefits:  Correct handling of a seldom-used boundary case.

Esthetics:  Mild improvement.

Discussion:  Mentioned in Steele's December 1985 "clarifications".