dUnités

Dunités is a fictional term used to describe a family of units in speculative metrology. In this context, a dunité (Du) is a unit of a chosen property, and the plural dunités denotes quantities measured across a region or system. The concept is encountered in science fiction writings and in formal thought experiments that seek to model how information, energy, or utility might be distributed in space.

Definition: A dunité is defined as the density of a selected unit property per unit area (or per network node). In simplest terms, Du equals P/A, where P is the total "unit" value and A is the area. The quantity is dimensionless if the chosen property is normalized. In some variants, Du is extended to volumes or to time-averaged values, enabling comparison across scales.

Applications: The dunité is used to compare network efficiency, distribution of resources, or information flow in theoretical models. It also serves in educational exercises to illustrate normalization and density concepts without relying on physical SI units.

History and status: The concept has no official status and is not standardized. It appears primarily in speculative works and design exercises; different authors may define Du differently, so care is needed when comparing values.

See also: units of measurement; metrology; information theory.