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#### 2.3.6.2 Dotted Pair Notation

Dotted pair notation is a general syntax for cons cells that represents the CAR and CDR explicitly. In this syntax, `(a . b)` stands for a cons cell whose CAR is the object a and whose CDR is the object b. Dotted pair notation is more general than list syntax because the CDR does not have to be a list. However, it is more cumbersome in cases where list syntax would work. In dotted pair notation, the list ‘`(1 2 3)`’ is written as ‘`(1 . (2 . (3 . nil)))`’. For `nil`-terminated lists, you can use either notation, but list notation is usually clearer and more convenient. When printing a list, the dotted pair notation is only used if the CDR of a cons cell is not a list.

Here’s an example using boxes to illustrate dotted pair notation. This example shows the pair `(rose . violet)`:

        --- ---
       |   |   |--> violet
        --- ---
         |
         |
          --> rose

You can combine dotted pair notation with list notation to represent conveniently a chain of cons cells with a non-`nil` final CDR. You write a dot after the last element of the list, followed by the CDR of the final cons cell. For example, `(rose violet . buttercup)` is equivalent to `(rose . (violet . buttercup))`. The object looks like this:

        --- ---      --- ---
       |   |   |--> |   |   |--> buttercup
        --- ---      --- ---
         |            |
         |            |
          --> rose     --> violet

The syntax `(rose . violet . buttercup)` is invalid because there is nothing that it could mean. If anything, it would say to put `buttercup` in the CDR of a cons cell whose CDR is already used for `violet`.

The list `(rose violet)` is equivalent to `(rose . (violet))`, and looks like this:

        --- ---      --- ---
       |   |   |--> |   |   |--> nil
        --- ---      --- ---
         |            |
         |            |
          --> rose     --> violet

Similarly, the three-element list `(rose violet buttercup)` is equivalent to `(rose . (violet . (buttercup)))`. It looks like this:

        --- ---      --- ---      --- ---
       |   |   |--> |   |   |--> |   |   |--> nil
        --- ---      --- ---      --- ---
         |            |            |
         |            |            |
          --> rose     --> violet   --> buttercup

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