The Theory of Data

Abstract

Version 8.0 of The Theory of Data develops an ontology and body of law for governed analytical data. It begins from the assertion that a value stands at a governed analytical location, then develops universes, anchors, measure families, governed expressions, participation, support, applicability, continuation state, sufficient basis, lineage, materialization, and coherence. The central revision in Version 8 is a sharper boundary between measure families and governed expressions. A measure family is continuation-bearing: its governed value, together with fixed governed structure, carries every admitted continuation. Governed expressions can be durable, named, versioned, and succeeded without acquiring family-continuation rights. This distinction clarifies how additive quantities, counts, sets, sketches, moments, ordered witnesses, means, unique counts, ratios, and statistical summaries should be represented and reused. Version 8 also introduces a family-relative root, makes value closure edge-relative, separates analytical geometry from participation and support, formalizes ordered continuation for FIRST/LAST, distinguishes family, expression, and carrier lineage, and gives materialization a semantic boundary independent of physical storage. It is a re-foundation of Version 7.1 rather than a rejection of the earlier results.