value
Let an agent explain values in mathematics and computing, describe types, representations and special values, support debugging and data handling questions, and separate this sense from ethical and economic value.
Bundle → Layer → Finding → Questions Filled
4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions
Understand What values are.
Concept
Concept and types.
Concept
Concept.
- What is a value in mathematics and computing, and how do types, literals and variables relate? definition
- Is the computing sense or another sense of value meant? boundary
Representation
Representations.
Representation
Representation.
- How are values represented in memory and formats, including floating point and subnormal numbers? definition
- Which entry fits floating point? action
Special Special values.
Sentinels
Sentinels and null.
Sentinels
Sentinels.
- What are sentinel and null values, and what problems do they cause? definition
- Which entry fits null handling? action
Seeds
Seeds and statistics.
Seeds
Seeds.
- How do random seeds and statistical values such as the mode function? definition
- Which entry fits random number generation? action
Use Handling values.
Compare
Comparison and equality.
Compare
Comparison.
- How are values compared and tested for equality, and what pitfalls arise with floats and references? action
- Which entry fits a specific language? action
Debug
Debugging wrong values.
Debug
Debugging.
- Why does this variable hold an unexpected value, and how can it be traced? action
- Which entry fits debugging? action
Learn Theory and teaching.
Theory
Semantics.
Theory
Theory.
- How do programming language semantics define values and evaluation? provenance
- Which references are standard? provenance
Teach
Teaching.
Teach
Teaching.
- How can values and types be taught to beginners? action
- Which misconceptions arise? provenance
Classifiers Filled
- Family
- Thing Registry
- Category
- Cross-cutting context
- Entry kind
- thing
- Plane
- XCT
- Domain
- XCT.QLT
- Other names and narrower kinds
- most frequent value, sentinel value, random seed, Stable Diffusion image seeds, map seed, subnormal number, significand, most inclusive value, most accurate value, dummy value, determined by the player, enumerated type element
What it is Filled
In computer science, a value is an expression designated as a completed result that cannot be evaluated further under the evaluation rules of the programming language or formal system; which expressions count as values depends on those rules, and an expression that cannot proceed because of an error is not thereby a value.
Why it exists Filled
Let an agent explain values in mathematics and computing, describe types, representations and special values, support debugging and data handling questions, and separate this sense from ethical and economic value.
Distinguishing features Filled
- Typed
- Representable
- Comparable
- Special values
What robots and AI may and may not do Filled
Must not
- Treat a sentinel or null value as a real measurement.
- Change stored values in shared data without permission or an audit trail.
- Silently round, truncate or convert values in ways that change their meaning.
- Expose values holding personal or secret data, such as keys or seeds, beyond their purpose.
Only with a human decision
- Correcting values in a production database or financial record.
May
- Read, compare and report values in data the agent is authorized to access.
- Check that values have the right type, range and precision for their field.
- Flag sentinel or null values that may be mistaken for real data.
Moral aspects Filled
- Wrong values in records can lead to wrong decisions about people, money and safety.
- Some values, such as keys and seeds, protect security and must stay secret.
Who is affected
- People described by the data
- Users of the system
- Data owners
Owners Filled
Steward
Nobody owns the concept; the owner of each dataset answers for its values.
Links to other meta-models Filled
parent
- Q778379 - registry parent class
related
- expression - category
- inequality - comparison of values
- software bug - wrong values as bugs
- context - session and state values
What else AI and robots need to interact with it Filled
Identity and identifiers required Filled
- Vercy registry: vr.tr.value-q1196827
- Wikidata: Q1196827 (https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1196827)
Direct properties not applicable Not applicable
Not applicable
Plane XCT: no invented physical properties.
Recognition optional Filled
- Result of an expression or content of a variable
- Typed and representable
- Ethical, economic and cultural value are other senses
- Not physical; data in memory or on paper.
Capabilities and actions required Filled
- explain values and types
- describe representations and special values
- support debugging and data handling
- separate other senses
Hazards and failure modes required Filled
- Type and precision errors
- Misused sentinel and null values
- Confusing senses of value
Standards and interfaces required Filled
- Floating point standards
- Programming language specifications
- Data format standards
Context of use required Filled
- Content of expressions and variables.
- numeric values including floating point
- strings and booleans
- structured and reference values
- sentinel and null values
- seeds and statistical values
Sources Filled
- Wikidata item Q1196827: value - identity and sense of the item
- Wikipedia: Value (computer science) - general description of the item
Open questions
- Should special values be separate entries?
- How should language specifications be linked?
- How should the other senses be separated?
Machine files
Provenance
thing registry research (pass 2) · unreviewed
Built from: models/things/publications/thing-q1196827/spec.json