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Re: [ontolog-forum] entity: nothing

To: "[ontolog-forum] " <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
From: "Barker, Sean (UK)" <Sean.Barker@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 11:39:50 +0100
Message-id: <E18F7C3C090D5D40A854F1D080A84CA4581837@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
In constructive solid geometry, holes are frequently constructed by subtracting one solid for another (drilling a hole is equivalent to subtracting a cylinder). Consequently, to move a hole, we need to have kept track of the subtracted solid and to move it. That is, the hole is not the accidental absence of matter, but the deliberate presence of "antimatter".
 
Similarly, in discussing NC controlled drilling, we keep track of holes and patterns of holes, rather than try to describe only the substrate and hope the machine thereby guesses which absences it should be responsible for. In mould making, the objective is to make a hole the shape of the part we are making. In making bottle, we are asked to design a hole of a particular volume.
 
One might observe that doorways are just holes in walls, a street is just a hole between buildings, an a parking space is just a hole in a row of cars, an appointment is hole in my calendar where I want to keep other things from filling the vacuum. If I can't have different sorts of holes in my ontology, I'll be in trouble.

Sean Barker
Bristol, UK

This mail is publicly posted to a distribution list as part of a process of public discussion, any automatically generated statements to the contrary non-withstanding. It is the opinion of the author, and does not represent an official company view.

 


From: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of paola.dimaio@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: 20 September 2007 10:57
To: [ontolog-forum]
Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] entity: nothing

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Thanks a lot all for reiteratioms (got the point thanks)

somehow however I am still not convinced that a hole is 'something'  in the same way (or equivalent) to what's around it. surely what's around a hole is of a different nature from the hole itself, so it would not be correct to say to define them in the same way

but I accept that you may want to define it by virtue of whats around it
(if thats the only thing you can do).

I am not ready to argue this sensibly, sorry -  just  will keep on observing (hole staring) and will report back when I see something there


thanks
PDM

On 9/20/07, Jack Teller <drjackteller@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
A "hole" is a "something" that requires another "something" in its
definition of existence, as in: "There's a _hole_ in the _bucket_, dear
Liza..."

Jack

Peter F Brown wrote:
>
> A hole is not the same as a "nothing" – there are two separate threads
> in this discussion: are we not talking about two different "things" (I
> use the word advisedly and very cautiously)?
>
> Peter B
>
> *From:* ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> [mailto:ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ] *On Behalf Of *Deborah
> MacPherson
> *Sent:* 18 September 2007 20:01
> *To:* [ontolog-forum]
> *Subject:* Re: [ontolog-forum] entity: nothing
>
> Hi Paola -
>
> The Cage analogy came around to silence being able to be bounded by
> sound. Carved sculptures take away unwanted material until only the
> essential parts remain. In museum design certain content is not ready
> to be named but it can be classified, subject areas yet to be defined
> are left as blank, un-labeled placeholders allocating space, hoping
> future requirements will fit without rearranging everything again.
>
> More to your point surely is John's statement "more like a boundary
> than pure nothingness". So with the stretched metaphors above.....What
> do you think needs to be bounded? What are opposite each other inside
> and outside the boundaries? What could possibly be consistent across a
> range of ontologies? What existing communication system like OWL, or
> ___, or ___, or ___ is best suited to indicating a boundary? How do
> you know when you encounter a boundary? Simply won't process? How do
> you "see" the holes and can you measure how big or small they are?
>
> Deborah
>
> On 9/18/07, *paola.dimaio@xxxxxxxxx <mailto: paola.dimaio@xxxxxxxxx>*
> <paola.dimaio@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:paola.dimaio@xxxxxxxxx>> wrote:
>
> I am not entirely sure that we have not yet answered this, I may have
> missed somethin
>
> Following the discussion on holes, the one questrion that I am left
> with is whether
> holes are entities as such, or non entities and
>
> if so
> whether they would belong to a ' class of nothing' being
> proposed/discussed somewhere earlier on this forum
>
> It looks to me that they are non entity cause they dont have a mass
> that can be measured
> I mean an entity is determined by its attributes and properties while
> the only property of a hole that we can say is 'absence of energy'
>
> This is an attempt to bring the hole discussion into the focus of
> current ontological question
>
> apologies if this is trivial
>
>
> --
> Paola Di Maio
> School of IT
> www.mfu.ac.th <http://www.mfu.ac.th>
> *********************************************
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--
Paola Di Maio
School of IT
www.mfu.ac.th
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