with David McGovern
One purpose of our contributions here is to suggest a vocabulary
that avoids confusion not just within the formal logical level, but also
between conceptual and logical terminologies, which is widespread in the
industry and is exacerbated by limitations of natural language (NL). We use the
following terminology in our approach to conceptual modeling:
- Primitive (basic entities);
- Compound:
- groups of related
entities;
- multigroups (groups
of related groups);
- Individual (of basic
entities);
- Collective:
- Of groups: relationships among entities within a group;
- Of multigroups: relationships among groups within a multigroup.
Note: It is a McGoveran insight that relationships
between objects at a lower aggregate level are properties of the object at the
higher aggregate level which the former comprise (LOGIC FOR SERIOUS DATABASE
FOLK, forthcoming; see draft chapters) http://www.alternativetech.com/ATpubs_dir.html
For classification of properties as first, second, third and fourth order (1OP,
2OP, 3OP and 4OP) see RELATIONSHIPS AND THE RDM Parts 1-3. https://www.dbdebunk.com/2023/03/relationships-and-rdm-v2-part-1.html
All such properties can be expressed logically in a FOPL-based relational data
sublanguage as constraints, which is beyond the scope of this
discussion.