Just a short comment before I have to go out (see below)...

On Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 2:23:08 AM UTC+1, Benoit wrote:
>
> Regarding the possible introduction in the main part of semigroups and 
> magmas:
> When I look at the page http://us2.metamath.org/mpeuni/df-mnd.html I feel 
> a bit dizzy.  The abundance of parentheses and conjunctions makes it hard 
> to parse.  Did you notice that the clause stating closedness is actually 
> quantified over an extra z ? (This is of course innocuous, but still 
> strange.)  I find it much easier to look successively at 
> http://us2.metamath.org/mpeuni/df-mgmALT.html and 
> http://us2.metamath.org/mpeuni/df-sgrp.html and [the definition of Monoid 
> from Semigroup -- Alexander: can you add it?].  
>
 
Yes, I'll add it! I had this in mind for some time, but I didn't consider 
it necessary. But now I think it may be the sticking point for this 
discussion. Having a first glance at it, I discovered that ~df-mnd is 
currently used in theorem ~ismnd only (in the main body of set.mm)! 
Therefore, it can be simply replaced by 
{ g e. SGrp | [. ( Base ` g ) / b ]. [. ( +g ` g ) / p ]. E. e e. b A. x e. 
b ( ( e p x ) = x /\ ( x p e ) = x ) },
and the proof of ~ ismnd can be rewritten to use this definition instead of 
the current one. Therefore, all theorems using ~ismnd are not affected at 
all. And as for many definitions in set.mm, the definition needs not to be 
understood by beginners (see my ~df-mamu example above) - if they look at 
the defining theorem ~ismnd, they find everything they need in a clear way 
(much clearer than in the current ~df-mnd). Furthermore, the definition of 
groups ~df-grp is also not affected at all, because it is based already on 
the definition of monoids ( `Grp = { g e. Mnd | ... `). 

As a conclusion, there will be more definitions and theorems about magmas 
and semigroups (for interested readers), but only one significant change 
(definition of monoids) for beginners/readers not interested in magmas and 
semigroups, which can be, however, ignored by them if they only look at 
~ismnd (if at all - if they are interested in groups only, actually nothing 
will change).
 

> So, to me, there is already a pedagogical benefit, even if no theorems are 
> proved.  I find these piecemeal definitions easier to learn.  Once you grab 
> the final concept, you can forget about the intermediate steps. I.e., you 
> do not have to remember what a magma or semigroup is, if you don't want.  
> This was only an aid in the process of getting the definition of a group.
>

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