In this paper a proof is presented that shows that the relation between technical functions and their subfunctions in functional descriptions of products can formally not be taken as a relation of parthood. Technical functions of two specific classes are modelled as well as their composition. In this modelling functions are taken as transformations of tokens of flows of energy, material and signals, which makes them proper instances of functions on many engineering accounts of functions. Then it is proved that the relations between the considered functions and their subfunctions do not in general meet the basic postulates of mereology, the theory of parthood relations. The ramification of this proof is that in engineering ontologies the relation between subfunctions and functions should not be described as a formal parthood relation.
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ASME 2010 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference
August 15–18, 2010
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Conference Sponsors:
- Design Engineering Division and Computers in Engineering Division
ISBN:
978-0-7918-4409-0
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Subfunctions as Parts of Functions: Some Formal Problems
Pieter E. Vermaas
Pieter E. Vermaas
Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
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Pieter E. Vermaas
Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
Paper No:
DETC2010-28095, pp. 81-90; 10 pages
Published Online:
March 8, 2011
Citation
Vermaas, PE. "Subfunctions as Parts of Functions: Some Formal Problems." Proceedings of the ASME 2010 International Design Engineering Technical Conferences and Computers and Information in Engineering Conference. Volume 1: 36th Design Automation Conference, Parts A and B. Montreal, Quebec, Canada. August 15–18, 2010. pp. 81-90. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2010-28095
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