Talk:ALCOR

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ALCOR multiplication sign has nothing to do with runic (or Maltese or other) cross
The article reads:


 * 4. An early "standard" character set for representing ALGOL 60 code on paper and paper tape. This character set included the unusual "᛭" runic cross[1] character for multiplication and the "⏨" Decimal Exponent Symbol[2] for floating point notation.

This is not correct concerning the multiplication sign. The Algol 60 Revised Report uses a multiplication sign (×) that is distinct from the asterisk (*), the latter not being a delimiter of Algol 60. The CCITT-2 code used for paper tapes does not contain either of the two. So ALCOR had to define a code point and chose 110·01¹, thus replacing the question mark (?). None of these characters has anything to do with a runic cross (᛭).

The code point 010·01¹, by the CCITT-2 standard the ENQ control character also named WRU (who are you), was explicitly forbidden in the ALCOR character set. At that time, it was sometimes graphically represented as a Cross pattée (✠) which my have led to the remark about the runic cross which has some similarity. But this was never used as a multiplication sign.

¹) these code points in their figure interpretation --Lantani (talk) 11:39, 5 November 2021 (UTC)