Re: In an RDBMS, what does "Data" mean?

In message <Comvc.4724$n65.4145_at_newssvr33.news.prodigy.com>, Eric Kaun <ekaun_at_yahoo.com> writes
>> This theory will then be the equivalent of Kepler and Newton discovering
>> ellipses and calculus, or of Einstein realising that mass and energy
>> were interchangeable. Basically, pretty much ALL of relational theory's
>> axioms are taken as given by the mathematicians, and no thought is given
>> as to whether they actually match the real world.
>
>Which axioms don't match? I wasn't really aware there were axioms per se.

BLOODY HELL ... I don't mean to sound stunned, but this takes the biscuit ...

ALL mathematical theories are based on axioms.

Science is basically the search for experimental proof that the axioms correctly describe the real world.

If you can't describe relational theory in terms of axioms and logical deductions, then it isn't maths and can't be science!

An axiom is basically "any statement which the model ASSUMES to be true". In relational theory, I would guess that at least one axiom could be phrased as "data comes in tuples".

So, if you don't have experiments to show that real-world data ALSO comes in tuples (or a close approximation thereof), then you can't conclude that a relational database is a good place to store real-world data. (Oh - and if you conclude that real-world data DOES come in tuples, but in several different types of tuple, then your theory needs to take that into account!)

Sorry for ignoring the rest of your post, but this is ABSOLUTELY FUNDAMENTAL!!! Cheers,
Wol

-- 
Anthony W. Youngman - wol at thewolery dot demon dot co dot uk
HEX wondered how much he should tell the Wizards. He felt it would not be a
good idea to burden them with too much input. Hex always thought of his reports
as Lies-to-People.
The Science of Discworld : (c) Terry Pratchett 1999