VARIABLES as percepts
Charles François (2004). VARIABLES as percepts, International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics, 2(2): 3722.
| Collection | International Encyclopedia of Systems and Cybernetics |
|---|---|
| Year | 2004 |
| Vol. (num.) | 2(2) |
| ID | ◀ 3722 ▶ |
| Object type | Epistemology, ontology or semantics |
According to W.T. POWERS et al “A variable is always a combination of two classes of percepts. One class contains percepts which do not vary: by these percepts we keep track of the ”identity“ of the variable. The other class contains percepts which do change: these percepts carry the information about the ”magnitude“ of the variable. ”Magnitude“ is used here in its most general sense, including the meanings of ”intensity“, ”size“, or any other word for the general class of variable attributes” (1960, p.63).
It is of course useful to be remembered about this non-mathematical origin of the concept of variable.