IDENTITY_15_NOVEMBER_2022_COPY
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IDENTITY

The image above depicts the immutability of some finite set of phenomenal characteristics as time elapses for some finite interval of time. The immutability of those phenomenal characteristics (within the context of that finite space-time interval) is what gives those phenomenal characteristics a uniquely corresponding identity; the process of being instantiated as exactly one object in particular (within a finite space-time interval).
The following terms and their respective definitions (and elaborating paragraphs) describe the ontological concept of an object and an object’s most essential set of attributes: an object’s identity.
OBJECT: a finite allocation of space, time, matter, and energy which is configured to store exactly one pattern.
PATTERN: a finite sequence of contrasting phenomena which may be copied from a source substrate to a target substrate.
An example of a pattern is the following binary term (i.e. byte): 11011011.
Each binary digit which comprises the pattern 11011011 is a copy of the pattern 0 or else 1.
If 11011011 is interpreted as a base-two nonnegative integer by some information processing agent, then according to that information processing agent, 11011011 represents exactly one uniquely corresponding base-ten nonnegative integer (i.e. 219) using an algebraic function to map a particular base-two nonnegative integer input value to exactly one uniquely and logically corresponding base-ten nonnegative integer output value.
IDENTITY: exactly one pattern which is used by an information processing agent to refer to exactly one uniquely corresponding object such that the referenced object is distinguishable from all other objects within some context.
Note that, within the context of this web page, the identity of an object remains unchanged (i.e. immutable) for the entire lifespan of the object which that identity is used to represent. Such is the case even if other attributes associated with that object change during that object’s lifespan.
The identity of a particular object is a finite piece of information which abstractly represents and/or physically manifests as a set of (arbitrarily) essential attributes which uniquely comprises some or all of that particular object.
An example of a piece of information which may be used as the identity for exactly one particular software object which is generated inside of exactly one runtime instance of a computer program (as a result of some digital electronic computer translating a collection of C++ source code files into machine executable instructions (and those machine-executable instructions physically manifest as a sequence of “ON” (i.e. “sufficiently high voltage” (symbolized by the token 1)) and “OFF” (i.e. “insufficiently high voltage” (symbolized by the token 0)) signals within the digital electronic computer’s hardware circuitry)) is the address (e.g. 0x7ffea033e830) of the first byte-sized memory cell of some contiguous and finite allocation of byte-sized memory cells within the digital electronic computer’s hardware circuitry which stores the described software object from the moment the object is created to the moment that object is deleted.
(Note that each byte-sized cell of memory has a unique and immutable memory address. While the data contents of a particular memory cell may change as time elapses, the address associated with that particular memory cell remains unchanged because that value is hard-coded into the physical architecture of the digital computer which that memory cell is a part of).
For the duration of object X’s lifespan, no other object can occupy the memory cells which are allocated to X. Therefore, the first memory cell of the contiguous block of memory cells which are allocated to X is uniquely associated with X and not with some other object which is generated within the same program runtime instance in which X is instantiated.
TOKEN: a unique and finite allocation of space, time, matter, and energy into which a symbol is inscribed.
11011011 is a sequence of exactly eight unique tokens (and each of those tokens has inscribed within it exactly one of two symbols (i.e. the binary digits 0 and 1)).
Each one of the eight tokens which comprises the binary digit sequence 11011011 has a unique position (i.e. nonnegative integer array index) within that sequence.
SYMBOL: a finite pattern which is physically manifested as token and which is used to represent exactly one uniquely corresponding piece of abstract information.
Within the sequence 11011011, the token whose array index is 0 and the token whose array index is 1 each logically represent the same abstract piece of information (i. e. the nonnegative integer quantity one). By contrast, the token whose array index is 2 and the the token whose array index is 5 each logically represent the same abstract piece of information (i.e. the nonnegative integer quantity zero).
The pattern 1 (which is relatively physical (i.e. phenomenal)) may be used as a symbol to logically represent exactly one uniquely corresponding piece of information (which is relatively abstract (i.e. noumenal)).
physical : abstract :: phenomenon : noumenon. physical : abstract :: substrate : pattern. physical : abstract :: software : hardware. relatively_physical : relatively_abstract :: finite : infinite. relatively_physical : relatively_abstract :: token : symbol. relatively_physical : relatively_abstract :: number : equation.
This web page was last updated on 02_OCTOBER_2022. The content displayed on this web page is licensed as PUBLIC_DOMAIN intellectual property
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This web page was last updated on 15_NOVEMBER_2022. The content displayed on this web page is licensed as PUBLIC_DOMAIN intellectual property.