Formalized functional definitions

Found a necessity at various times through the years to figure out my own functional definitions, which are functional in that I can use them all over the place in the real world. That is, I need these definitions to DO things, and found existing ones were insufficient.

Oh well, in any event, occurred to me that it would be useful to have the ones I have so far collected on one page for ready reference:

science (noun): the art of prediction using methodologies and tools to expand zones of certainty by discovery of a predictive framework.

scientific theory (noun): predictive framework found by using science.

scientist (person): practitioner of science.

All found on my Lost in Commentary blog in post: Predictive Certainty

First two are also on my math blog, in post: For mathematical scientists

First one first posted on Google+ which is now defunct though. So things are the most scattered around here. Don't like it that way. Guess it just happened.

Progressive (noun): in politics a political position valuing intelligent governance with the belief that in an intelligently governed world people's lives tend to get better, not worse.

Original found on Lost in Commentary, in post: Government that enables

Edited for this page. Removed "person" and added "in politics".

mathematical proof (noun): a mathematical argument that begins with a truth and proceeds by logical steps to a conclusion which then must be true.

Is on my math blog Some Math, in post: Definition of mathematical proof

entertainment (noun): any socially accepted activity chosen in order to alter mood in a desired way which is unlikely to bring harm in any way.

Found on this blog, Beyond Mundane, in post: Trying to define entertainment

thinking (verb): processing data to get to a result generally considered to be a termination point for processing.

Posted original version on Twitter November 23, 2023.

These are the fully formalized ones. I have other working definitions for things, where I haven't bothered. Putting them here would be a waste as eventually I'll probably formalize them, and want that to be in one place.

I keep these definitions in as few places as possible in case I decide to change them, or remove them. Easier to do if I don't have them scattered all over the place.

This page can be my official repository for finalized versions.

The goal is to have as few as possible. As this effort is about necessity. If I need a functional definition for something, then I'm kind of stuck until I have one.


James Harris