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Re:0^0 by a1a on Thursday April 03, 2014 @12:57PM (#7524156)
This is quite beyond my knowledge, I like the Wittgenstein philosophy, but I would still argue:

You cannot calculate S^(x+1)(0) before the result of S^x(0) is known.

To calculate S^6(0) you start by calculating S(0) ----> It's not possible to "identify S^6(0) with 6" if you haven't calculated S(0) first, because you cannot know S^6(0) at this point.

Re:0^0 by pavelrub on Thursday April 03, 2014 @01:37PM (#7524529)
The computer has a table in memory that tells it S^6(0) = 6 (or equivalently O O O O O O = 6 apples). When it sees a symbol - for example S^6(0) - it searches this table for the same symbol, and then outputs the corresponding number. In no stage of this process does the computer "calculate" anything - it doesn't even need to know that S^5(0)=5 in order to find that S^6(0)=6. In fact S^5 might not even be in the table.