Re: foundations of relational theory?
Date: Sat, 25 Oct 2003 18:59:43 -0400
Message-ID: <8vGdneeXdas3nQaiU-KYgw_at_golden.net>
"Marshall Spight" <mspight_at_dnai.com> wrote in message news:jfymb.25613$Tr4.52190_at_attbi_s03...
> "Bob Badour" <bbadour_at_golden.net> wrote in message
news:svednXki4MR1HAeiU-KYgw_at_golden.net...> > Hence the importance of closure and of a sound notation for expressing
> > "Marshall Spight" <mspight_at_dnai.com> wrote in message
> > news:BBnmb.21869$Fm2.11581_at_attbi_s04...
> > > Having the schema be dependent
> > > on what applications we anticipate is a problem. Normalization
> > > makes it possible to have the schema be dependent solely on
> > > the relations among the data, and therefor be the correct schema
> > > for all possible applications. This gets you want you wanted
> > > in your first sentence: the developer doesn't need to plan for
> > > every possible query. He already knows he's done the right thing.
> >
> > logical derivations.
>
> Yes, I think closure is one of those properties that it is quite easy
> to underestimate the importance of.
>
>
> > > Wouldn't you agree that it would be better to have a system
> > > whereby no changes to existing applications are necessary to
> > > accomodate new applications?
> >
> > Tony lacks the intellectual capacity to understand what actually does or
> > does not limit permutations.
>
> I don't see how you reach that conclusion. Unless you include
> "degree of education" as part of "intellectual capacity."
I reached that conclusion from his statement regarding applications limiting permutations. The number of things determines the number of permutations of those things. The number of structure types determines the number of permutations of those structure types by the factorial function. The number of applications has no effect. I also reached that conclusion from my past exchanges with him.
> To me, it's all about education, or information if you like.
> I'm not ashamed to admit I was born stump-ignorant, and
> most of what I know today I learned from someone else.
> Note particularly that one of the things I've learned from
> others is the value of a strong grounding in fundamentals.
> I was not born knowing this; someone had to teach it to
> me. (Many times, in fact, before I understood it to be
> a universal truth, that applies in all fields of study.)
>
> If we hypothesize that someone lacks some specific
> bit of fundamental knowledge, that person may be
> taught that specific bit.
In Tony's case, the latter conclusion is not at all clear, and experience suggests he may not be so taught.
> If a person doesn't know the
> value of a strong grounding in fundamentals, well,
> they can be taught that as well.
Again, experience has suggested otherwise where Tony is concerned.
> Note that I am not saying that any of this is easy.
Let me know when you have proved it is possible. Received on Sun Oct 26 2003 - 00:59:43 CEST