SUO: Re: Missing Ingredients
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MI. Note 11
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JA = Jon Awbrey
TJ = Tom Johnston
JA: | Let us try to approach the question
| of "semantic inter-operability" (SIO)
| by way of the following sub-questions:
|
| 1. What is the "meaning" of a "set of sentences" (SOS)?
|
| 2. What is the "meaning" of a "table of tuples" (TOT)?
|
| 3. How shall we compare the "meanings" of these two?
TJ: Since many fine minds have written many fine words
attempting to answer the first of your questions,
or its near semantic cousins, and since those
questions still remain open for discussion,
I'd like not to discuss them.
TJ: Actually, I'd like to discuss them when I'm wearing
my philosopher's hat but, in this thread, I'm wearing
my database architect's hat.
Note To Self. Coin the term "Interhaberdashery". I foresee a fashion fad.
TJ: So I'd like to discuss your second question, which I paraphrase
as my #1 immediately below, and then add a second question.
Our hash codes are clashing.
Note To Self. Coin the term "Interdaberhashery". Ditto.
I will amend, if somewhat prefictiously, to wit:
TJ: 2.1. What is the meaning of a database table?
TJ: 2.2. How can we formalize that meaning?
TJ: I think the answer to the first question is pretty simple
(a dangerous thing to say, of course). The meaning of a
database table is the set membership conditions for that
table. To take my usual example, here's one definition
of customer:
TJ: a. someone who has purchased a product or service from us;
b. within the last five years.
Tom,
When I talk about a "table of tuples" (TOT),
I mean to be obstinately concrete about it.
There's this concrete table -- no, not that
kind of concrete -- and it has exactly the
finite number of tuples that it has in it,
no more, no less, and even if the data is
incomplete or inconsistent, or wrong in
any one of a vast host of other ways.
You are talking about the tuples that "should be" in the table,
and thus you have already gotten all wobbley and intens/tional.
I'm guessing that you must have "unintentionally" changed hats.
If you cannot observe the dress code,
then we may be obligated to consider
how to arrange a suitable alteration.
If you cannot afford a new suit,
you may borrow some of my newly
minted coinages above.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Mad Hatter,
Jon Awbrey
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