July 11, 2025
SIGFPT Notation for Protocols: Iverson Paper Review and Handshake/Handwashing Notation Design
Participants: _vgr, ediblebadger, akkartik, benzucker., timber1997, arseniy.eth, rafa_0x, brtrx_
The SIGFPT group convened to discuss notation systems for formal protocols, with particular focus on Kenneth Iverson's work on mathematical notation and the concept of 'suggestivity'—how notation can intuitively convey meaning. After reviewing the Iverson paper, participants shared favorite notation systems and then engaged in a collaborative brainstorming exercise to design a formal notation for handshakes and handwashing protocols. Rafa_0x generated a comprehensive symbol scheme using specialized characters (⊃, ⊂, ■, ✚, ∩, ×, ⇄, etc.) to represent hand positions, orientations, contact types, and actions, created with assistance from an LLM (o3) and refined through axiom-based constraints. The group recognized that without clear axioms governing symbol usage, notation rapidly becomes intractable. The discussion also connected notation design to broader historical themes: the relationship between weaving machines and computing, the application of knot theory to protocol representation, and Petri nets as alternative formal systems for capturing protocol behavior.
- Notation design must be constrained by a mix of axioms and expressivity emphasis on particular concepts to avoid intractable complexity.
- Axioms function as symbol usage constraints that prevent notational systems from becoming messy or undefined.
- Suggestivity in notation (as Iverson describes it) is essential for effective formal systems, exemplified by 3Blue1Brown's Triangle of Power video.
- There are deep historical parallels between notation systems, weaving machines (Jacquard looms), and early computing, suggesting notation itself is a form of protocol.