nothing
Let an agent explain nothing as a quantity and concept across language, mathematics, computing and philosophy, distinguish zero, empty and null, support handling of empty and missing values, and support learning.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What nothing is.
Concept
Concept and words.
Concept
Concept.
- What does nothing mean as a quantity, and how do nil, null, zero, nada and cipher differ in usage? definition
- Which sense of nothing is meant? boundary
Formal
Zero and the empty set.
Formal
Formal.
- How do zero and the empty set formalise nothing in mathematics, and how do they differ? definition
- Which entry fits zero? action
Computing Nothing in computing.
Null
Null and missing values.
Null
Null.
- How should null, empty and zero values be distinguished and handled in this data or program? action
- Which entry fits data quality? action
Errors
Null errors.
Errors
Errors.
- Why do null references cause errors, and how are they avoided? provenance
- Which entry fits programming errors? action
Philosophy Philosophy of nothing.
Non-being
Absence and non-being.
Non-being
Non-being.
- How have philosophers treated nothing and non-being, with positions attributed? provenance
- Which findings are contested? boundary
Physics
Vacuum and physics.
Physics
Physics.
- Is empty space nothing, according to physics? provenance
- Which entry fits vacuum? action
Learn History and teaching.
History
History of zero.
History
History.
- How did the concept and symbol of zero develop across cultures? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Teach
Teaching.
Teach
Teaching.
- How can zero and nothing be taught to children and programmers? action
- Which misconceptions arise? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Cross-cutting context
- Entry kind
- noun.quantity
- Plane
- XCT
- Domain
- XCT.QTY
- Facets: substance
- abstract
- Facets: origin
- conceptual
- Facets: agency
- inert
- Facets: mobility
- not-applicable
- Facets: scale
- not-applicable
- Facets: affordances
- observable
- Other names and narrower kinds
- nil, nix, nada, null, aught, cipher, cypher, goose egg, naught, zero, zilch, zip
What it is Filled
A quantity of no amount or importance, expressed in words such as nil, nix, nada, null, aught and cipher, and denoted in mathematics by zero, in logic by the empty set or absence, in computing by null values and empty results, and in sport and everyday speech by scores and answers of nothing; the concept of nothing raises questions in philosophy about absence and non-being, in mathematics about zero and the empty set, and in computing about representing missing information.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain nothing as a quantity and concept across language, mathematics, computing and philosophy, distinguish zero, empty and null, support handling of empty and missing values, and support learning.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Absence
- Many words
- Formalised as zero and empty set
- Philosophical depth
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Treat missing data as zero in records that affect people.
- Present an empty search result as proof that something does not exist.
- Hide null-handling errors in software or reports.
- Treat nothing as a thing in reasoning to reach false conclusions.
Only with a human decision
- Deciding that a person's record or entitlement is nil because data is missing.
May
- Explain nothing as a quantity and concept across language, mathematics, computing and philosophy.
- Distinguish zero, the empty set, null values and missing data.
- Help handle null and empty results correctly in data the agent is authorised to work on.
Moral aspects Filled
- Confusing missing with zero can deny people benefits or misstate their records.
- Philosophical ideas of nothingness matter in several religious traditions.
Who is affected
- People with incomplete records
- Data users
- Students
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody: a concept held in common.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- oewn-13598185-n - registry parent class
related
- quantity - category
- remainder - zero remainder in division
- multiplier - multiplication by zero
- error - null errors in software
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.nothing
- Open English WordNet: oewn-13762308-n
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Quantity of no amount
- Zero, nil, null, empty set
- Zero is a number; the empty set is a set; null marks missing data; a vacuum is physical emptiness
- Not physical; an absence.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain the concept across fields
- distinguish zero, empty and null
- support handling of missing values
- support learning
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Confusing zero with missing data
- Null-related software errors
- Treating nothing as a thing in reasoning
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Mathematical conventions for zero and the empty set
- Data standards for null and missing values
- No regulation of the concept
Context of use required Filled
- Absence of quantity.
- nothing in everyday speech and scores
- zero in mathematics
- the empty set and empty results
- null and missing values in computing
- nothingness in philosophy
Sources Filled
- Open English WordNet 2024, synset oewn-13762308-n - sense and gloss of the concept
- Wiktionary: nothing - word senses and usage
Open questions
- Should zero be a separate entry?
- How should data standards be linked?
- How should philosophical sources be linked?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-nothing/spec.json