Monad

What is a monad?

This is one of the first things you have to grasp when designing an Emdros database:

So, a monad is an integer. It is not a word, not a morpheme. It is an integer.

Monads are consecutive

Because monads are integers, they follow one upon another in a natural succession. The most natural succession is "x plus 1", so, the sequence:

What is the primary function of the monads?

Since monads form a sequence, and since text is sequential, the sequence of monads can be used to model the flow of the textual sequence.

So the primary function of the monads is to model the sequence of the text.

What is the secondary function of the monads?

Objects (which we'll get to in a bit) consist of sets of monads. An object is a set of monads.

Thus the secondary function of the monads is to form the fabric out of which objects are made. An object is a set of monads.

What are the minimum and maximum monads?

It depends on what you are asking.

If you are asking possible monads, then the minimum monad you can create at all is 1, while the maximum is 2,100,000,000 (2.1 billion).

If you are asking in a particular database, it depends on you. You need not start your database at monad 1: You can start it at whichever monad you like. And you can end it at whichever monad you like.

So the minimum monad in any given database is whatever you decided to use as the first monad for the first object, and similarly for the last monad of the last object.

Summary

1. A monad is an integer.
2. Therefore, the monads form a sequence.
3. The most natural sequence is "1,2,3,4,5,6,...".
4. The primary function of the monads is to model the sequence of text.
5. The secondary function of the monads is to be the stuff out of which objects are made.
6. The minimum possible monad is 1.
7. The maximum possible monad is 2.1 billion.
8. You need not start the database at monad 1: You can choose any monad.
9. The same goes for where to end the database: It depends on the last object of the database.