Re: virus: what do we call them?

KMO (kmo@c-realm.com)
Mon, 10 May 1999 00:00:37 -0700

"Joe E. Dees" wrote:

> I forgot to mention axioms; this isn't TOO mathematical, and
> maybe postulates (which might be).

I LIKE "postulates."

-KMO

http://www.dictionary.com/cgi-bin/dict.pl?db=web1913&term=Postulate&config=define

                         Postulate \Pos"tu*late\, n. [L. postulatum a
demand,
                         request, prop. p. p. of postulare to demand,
prob. a
                         dim. of poscere to demand, prob. for porcscere;
akin to
                         G. forschen to search, investigate, Skr. prach
to ask,
                         and L. precari to pray: cf. F. postulat. See
Pray.] 1.
                         Something demanded or asserted; especially, a
                         position or supposition assumed without proof,
or one
                         which is considered as self-evident; a truth to
which
                         assent may be demanded or challenged, without
                         argument or evidence.

                         2. (Geom.) The enunciation of a self-evident
problem,
                         in distinction from an axiom, which is the
enunciation
                         of a self-evident theorem.

                         The distinction between a postulate and an
axiom lies
                         in this, -- that the latter is admitted to be
self-evident,
                         while the former may be agreed upon between two

                         reasoners, and admitted by both, but not as
                         proposition which it would be impossible to
deny.
                         --Eng. Cyc.
                                                  Source: Webster's
Revised Unabridged Dictionary