001/**
002 * SealedAlgebraicStructure.java
003 *
004 * Copyright (c) 2004-2012, Nicole C. Tedesco.  All rights reserved.
005 *
006 * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
007 * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
008 * You may obtain a copy of the License at:
009 *
010 * http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
011 *
012 * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
013 * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
014 * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
015 * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
016 * limitations under the License.
017 */
018
019package net.sf.jaccumulator;
020
021/**
022 * Loosely, a <b>algebraic structure</b> is a structure on a set, or more
023 * generally a type, consists of additional mathematical objects that in some
024 * manner attach (or are related) to the set, making it easier to visualize or
025 * work with, or endowing the collection with semantic meaning or significance.
026 * An <b>algebraic structure</b>, more strictly, corresponds to a one or more
027 * sets of values closed under one or more finitary (finite number of input and
028 * output values) functions and relations which are defined on it.<br/>
029 * <br/>
030 * From a programming perspective an algebraic structure corresponds either to a
031 * programming <i>class</i> or an <i>object instance</i> consisting of a
032 * definition of, or the actual set of attributes and the (necessarily) finitary
033 * operations defined on those attributes. [No true infinite structures can ever
034 * be implemented in computing since that would imply infinite space, time
035 * and/or energy which does not exist in this universe. <i>-NCT</i>]<br/>
036 * <br/>
037 * This interface represents a contract for set of predicates and functions that
038 * can be used to determine the nature of and manipulate basic algebraic
039 * properties of this structure.
040 *
041 * @param <STRUCTURE>
042 *      this structure type (facilitates chaining)
043 *
044 * @since JAccumulator 4.0
045 * @author Nicole Tedesco (<a
046 *         href="mailto:Nicole@NicoleTedesco.com">Nicole@NicoleTedesco.com</a>)
047 */
048public interface AlgebraicStructure<STRUCTURE>
049    extends
050        SealedAlgebraicStructure,
051        MutableAlgebraicStructure<STRUCTURE>
052{
053}