Re: terminology
Date: Mon, 19 Jun 2006 02:55:54 GMT
Message-ID: <_molg.62655$Mn5.40959_at_pd7tw3no>
Pickie wrote:
> Cimode wrote:
>> Marshall wrote: >>> [First of all, I assume "r.t." means "relational theory" and "fopl" >>> is "first order predicate logic." Correct me if I guessed wrong.] >>> >>> Certainly there are different contexts in which the term "variable" >>> is used, and across those different contexts there may be >>> incompatible meanings. I was speaking of the programming >>> languages theory ("PLT") context. So I am speaking of regular >>> data variables, rather than logic variables--they are quite >>> different. >> An integer is an integer whether you speak of Math, of PL or >> whatever... >> An arythmetic operation is an arithmetic operation regardless of field >> of application >> RM is pure math applied and what you state is that the application >> redefines the fundamental concepts... >> >>> Thanks for pointing out that distinction. >>> >>> >>> Marshall
>
> Apparently not - in dictionaries, there are two definitions of
> integer. One is "a positive or negative whole number or zero" while
> the other is "whole entity". Subtle difference, I know, but just call
> me picky.
>
> Re a couple of other posts.
>
> Since glass is mostly an oxide of silicon and the water is dihydrogen
> monoxide - the glass of water may well be mostly oxygen. Or Do I Mean
> Oxygen?
>
> Sillicium could be a mispronounciation of psyllium; which is the stuff
> you take, dissolved in a glass of water, to prevent constipation.
> What can someone take for thread diarrhoea?
>
I attempted earlier to encourage more people taking up the plonk file approach (for some reason it seemed my recipe didn't work at first but I later noticed that the newsreader I use has a more automatic way to re-route the usenet diarrhea - it seems it's now working as I know now even less than before what people are talking about!).
As for the other comments, all I think worth saying is that if 'literalists' ran the world, we'd still be drinking water by dipping our tongues in the nearest marsh. DB/IT progress is not to be found by mirroring the real world. To keep this short and to keep from being plonked by those here who can help me with future questions, I won't say what I think of the dictionary school of IT except that it's something like appealing to irrelevant authority.
p Received on Mon Jun 19 2006 - 04:55:54 CEST