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

Alfredo:

"Alfredo Novoa" <alfredo_at_ncs.es> wrote in message news:40c864ec.11254443_at_news.wanadoo.es...
>>
>>"Anthony W. Youngman" <wol_at_thewolery.demon.co.uk> wrote ...
>>
[snipped]
>> Let's take the evolution of that theory I keep on throwing out as an
>> example.
>>
>> Copernicus : orbit == circle
>> Kepler : obit == ellipse
>> Newton : F=ma; E=1/2mv^2 where m is constant
>> Einstein : e=mc^2
>>
>> Each change may only subtly modify the previous axioms, but the result
>> is theory/model that is a closer fit to reality.
>
>I don't think the above are axioms in the mathematical sense, though I
could
>be wrong.

>
> An axiom is a proposition regarded as self-evidently true without
> proof.
>
> http://mathworld.wolfram.com/Axiom.html

I think this definition is too rigid. Thinking of an axiom this rigidly often produces a rigidly, narrow analysis. :-)

An axiom can easily be thought of as both a self-evident truth (so what's self-evident?) or an assumption to use to base a further analysis. Newton's 3 laws of motion are generally referred to as axioms that are used as assumptions (or postulates) for further theoretical analysis.

Since databases are natural companions to multiple environments (business, gov't, etc) we shouldn't be limiting our inquiry with such rigid definitions of useful words.

Bill Received on Fri Jun 11 2004 - 00:32:19 CEST