Re: citations of nature

"Dawn M. Wolthuis" <dwolt_at_tincat-group.com> wrote:

...[trim]...

> The definition I'm currently using is:
> Database: Retrievable data encoded on a persistent storage device combined
> with metadata - information about that data.

This is a reasonably general definition to the extent that people and their metaphysics might also be included. :-)

> Perhaps we could say that the rings themselves are the metadata or some
> such?

In a living system such a tree that has a finite number of layered growth rings dependent upon the number of growth seasons. The persistence of the living tree is not directly related to the material out of which it is composed because to a certain extent the tree's material is also recycled from the raw materials it ingests in order to survive.

So the rings must certainly represent repositories for the evidence of growth, and when they are examined in terms of width this data is quantified somewhat.

The metadata is in the collection of rings and its assumed (with very good reason) isomorphic (set) mapping back to the natural growing seasons.

Formally, does a database require a user of that database?

Thanks for the dialogue Dawn,

Pete Brown
Falls Creek
Oz Received on Sun Jan 04 2004 - 12:58:45 CET