[Patents] Patent system run for consumers or producers?

[Martin Wahlén mva@df.lth.se]

On Sun, 8 Oct 2000, Gregory Aharonian wrote:

> >So if Danzig had patented Simplex you don't think this would have
> >hindered the adoption of the general purpose computer.
> 
> No.  Do a little computer science history research.  Research a man
> and algorithm named Karmarkar (I think that is the spelling).  The

Ok, lets look at publication dates...

The simplex algorithm [1947]
The karmarkar algorithm [1984]

I am not 199% certain of these dates but it was the best I could do. In
Shrijvers (1984) book the karmarkar algorithm is mentioned, so I would
tend to belive these dates. Now it turns out that karmarkars method is
better (has beter worstcase behaviour). But I still belive that this would
have hindered the adoption of the early computers, you don't shall we
agree to differ on this?

Cheers,
  Martin