Strange word diff

From
Jean Abou Samra <hidden>
Date
2026-11-03 14:14:18
Hi,

Attached is an archive with three files. file2.txt differs from file1.txt
by just a few words, as correctly reported by git diff --word-diff (using
Git 2.56.0):
$ git diff --no-index --word-diff file1.txt file2.txt 
diff --git a/file1.txt b/file2.txt
index a9eaedc..a75008e 100644
--- a/file1.txt
+++ b/file2.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
\subparagraph*{Context}
Our object of study is an extension of Turing degrees where the oracles can
feature certain forms of non-determinism, as in this riddle. We call these
generalized degrees the \emph{Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees}, owing to their
explicit description by Kihara using a three-player game whose players are
conventionally named Arthur, Nimue and
Merlin \cite{KiharaLT}.\footnote{In \cite{KiharaOracles}, Kihara uses the term
“extended Turing–Weihrauch degrees”. We prefer to eschew the association with
Weihrauch's name since we never deal with [-call-once oracles.}-]{+oracles that
can only be queried once.}+} Whereas Turing degrees are defined as a quotient of
oracles which are functions $\N \to \N$, Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees are a
quotient of a richer set of oracles, namely functions $\N \to \P(\P(\N))$.
Informally, when a program that uses $g : \N \to \P(\P(\N))$ as an oracle makes
a query $n \in \N$ to the oracle, a set $P \in g(n)$ is chosen in a benevolent
way (“angelic non-determinism”), then a value $v \in P$ is chosen in an
adversarial way (“demonic non-determinism”), and the program receives the answer
$v$. The mathematical meaning to “benevolent” and “adversarial” is made precise
by introducing a game where Arthur, a player restricted to computable
strategies, is allied to Nimue, the player choosing $P$, and both play against
Merlin, the player choosing $v$. (The details of the game are recalled in
\autoref{section-arthur-nimue-merlin-games}.)

While [-this game was-]{+Arthur–Nimue–Merlin games were+} introduced recently by
Kihara, [-the concept-]{+they are a concrete description+} of [-
Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees is-]{+objects that arose+} much [-older, having
arised,-]{+earlier,+} in a different guise, in the study of realizability. To
reassure the reader unfamiliar with realizability from the outset, this paper is
meant to be accessible with only a background in basic computability theory,
except for \autoref{section-topos-theory} where we explain how the proof of our
main result can be understood from the point of view of realizability.
Nevertheless, let us recall the historical link.
The only change between file2.txt and file3.txt is the addition of a
blank line:
$ git diff --no-index file2.txt file3.txt 
diff --git a/file2.txt b/file3.txt
index a75008e..81c3eb9 100644
--- a/file2.txt
+++ b/file3.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 \subparagraph*{Context}
+
 Our object of study is an extension of Turing degrees where the oracles can
feature certain forms of non-determinism, as in this riddle. We call these
generalized degrees the \emph{Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees}, owing to their
explicit description by Kihara using a three-player game whose players are
conventionally named Arthur, Nimue and
Merlin \cite{KiharaLT}.\footnote{In \cite{KiharaOracles}, Kihara uses the term
“extended Turing–Weihrauch degrees”. We prefer to eschew the association with
Weihrauch's name since we never deal with oracles that can only be queried
once.} Whereas Turing degrees are defined as a quotient of oracles which are
functions $\N \to \N$, Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees are a quotient of a richer
set of oracles, namely functions $\N \to \P(\P(\N))$. Informally, when a program
that uses $g : \N \to \P(\P(\N))$ as an oracle makes a query $n \in \N$ to the
oracle, a set $P \in g(n)$ is chosen in a benevolent way (“angelic non-
determinism”), then a value $v \in P$ is chosen in an adversarial way (“demonic
non-determinism”), and the program receives the answer $v$. The mathematical
meaning to “benevolent” and “adversarial” is made precise by introducing a game
where Arthur, a player restricted to computable strategies, is allied to Nimue,
the player choosing $P$, and both play against Merlin, the player choosing $v$.
(The details of the game are recalled in \autoref{section-arthur-nimue-merlin-
games}.)
 
 While Arthur–Nimue–Merlin games were introduced recently by Kihara, they are a
concrete description of objects that arose much earlier, in a different guise,
in the study of realizability. To reassure the reader unfamiliar with
realizability from the outset, this paper is meant to be accessible with only a
background in basic computability theory, except for \autoref{section-topos-
theory} where we explain how the proof of our main result can be understood from
the point of view of realizability. Nevertheless, let us recall the historical
link.
And yet, comparing file1.txt with file3.txt with a word diff gives a strange
diff that matches a few words here and there while missing unchanged entire
long sentences:
$ git diff --no-index --word-diff file1.txt file3.txt 
diff --git a/file1.txt b/file3.txt
index a9eaedc..81c3eb9 100644
--- a/file1.txt
+++ b/file3.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
\subparagraph*{Context}
[-Our object of study is an extension of Turing degrees where the oracles can
feature certain forms of non-determinism, as in this riddle. We call these
generalized degrees the \emph{Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees}, owing to their
explicit description by Kihara using a three-player game whose players are
conventionally named Arthur, Nimue and
Merlin \cite{KiharaLT}.\footnote{In \cite{KiharaOracles}, Kihara uses the term
“extended Turing–Weihrauch degrees”. We prefer to eschew the association with
Weihrauch's name since we never deal with call-once oracles.} Whereas Turing
degrees are defined as a quotient of oracles which are functions $\N \to \N$,
Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees are a quotient of a richer set of oracles, namely
functions $\N \to \P(\P(\N))$. Informally, when a program that uses $g : \N \to
\P(\P(\N))$ as an oracle makes a query $n \in \N$ to the oracle, a set $P \in
g(n)$ is chosen in a benevolent way (“angelic non-determinism”), then a value $v
\in P$ is chosen in an adversarial way (“demonic non-determinism”), and the
program receives the answer $v$. The mathematical meaning to “benevolent” and
“adversarial” is made precise by introducing a game where Arthur, a player
restricted to computable strategies, is allied to Nimue, the player choosing
$P$, and both play against Merlin, the player choosing $v$. (The details of the
game are recalled in \autoref{section-arthur-nimue-merlin-games}.)-]

[-While-]{+Our object of study is an extension of Turing degrees where the
oracles can feature certain forms of non-determinism, as in+} this [-game was
introduced recently-]{+riddle. We call these generalized degrees the
\emph{Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees}, owing to their explicit description+} by [-
Kihara,-]{+Kihara using a three-player game whose players are conventionally
named Arthur, Nimue and
Merlin \cite{KiharaLT}.\footnote{In \cite{KiharaOracles}, Kihara uses+} the [-
concept-]{+term “extended Turing–Weihrauch degrees”. We prefer to eschew the
association with Weihrauch's name since we never deal with oracles that can only
be queried once.} Whereas Turing degrees are defined as a quotient+} of
{+oracles which are functions $\N \to \N$,+} Arthur–Nimue–Merlin degrees {+are a
quotient of a richer set of oracles, namely functions $\N \to \P(\P(\N))$.
Informally, when a program that uses $g : \N \to \P(\P(\N))$ as an oracle makes
a query $n \in \N$ to the oracle, a set $P \in g(n)$ is chosen in a benevolent
way (“angelic non-determinism”), then a value $v \in P$ is chosen in an
adversarial way (“demonic non-determinism”), and the program receives the answer
$v$. The mathematical meaning to “benevolent” and “adversarial”+} is {+made
precise by introducing a game where Arthur, a player restricted to computable
strategies, is allied to Nimue, the player choosing $P$, and both play against
Merlin, the player choosing $v$. (The details of the game are recalled in
\autoref{section-arthur-nimue-merlin-games}.)+}

{+While Arthur–Nimue–Merlin games were introduced recently by Kihara, they are a
concrete description of objects that arose+} much [-older, having arised,-
]{+earlier,+} in a different guise, in the study of realizability. To reassure
the reader unfamiliar with realizability from the outset, this paper is meant to
be accessible with only a background in basic computability theory, except for
\autoref{section-topos-theory} where we explain how the proof of our main result
can be understood from the point of view of realizability. Nevertheless, let us
recall the historical link.
Is this a bug? It happens with all --diff-algorithm option values.

Best,
Jean

Attachments

Thread (2 messages) 2 messages, 2 authors, 8h ago
Keyboard shortcuts
hback out one level
jnext message in thread / next series-diff position
kprevious message in thread / previous series-diff position
ldrill in
Escclose help / fold thread tree
?toggle this help