Re: Do Data Models Need to built on a Mathematical Concept?

> > So you really believe NULL is a binary relation?
> > So you really believe a set consisting of binary relations
> > IS A binary relation?
>
> It's not a question of belief; it's a question of how the word is defined.
> I really, truly believe that how I described it above
> is how many mathematicians and many math books define it.
>
> In all seriousness, you might want to look up the definition
> of the word "definition" in the dictionary.

I think one is missing the bigger picture. In mathematics, it is not primarily about making a definition for the sake for having a definition that everyone can agree on. Until recently didn't humans define the world as being flat and Earth the center of the universe! Why aren't those definitions still good. The bigger picture is that, in mathematics, we strive to make our definition convey/match reality as much as possible and that we either correct or move on to more accurate definitions when we recognize shortcomings. Received on Wed May 07 2003 - 17:37:02 CEST