domainsdistinct

Domainsdistinct is a term used in computer science and mathematics to describe a property of a collection of domains (or value spaces) in which the domains are pairwise disjoint. In other words, the set of values that belongs to one domain has no overlap with the set of values belonging to any other domain. This property supports unambiguous interpretation of values across different domains.

Formal definition: Let D = {D1, D2, ..., Dn} be a collection of domains, each with a value set V(Di). The domains are distinct if for all i ≠ j, V(Di) ∩ V(Dj) = ∅. When this condition holds, a value can be attributed to exactly one domain, preventing cross-domain ambiguity.

Variants and implications: In type systems and data schemas, enforcing domainsdistinct helps ensure that serialized data can be parsed and validated reliably. It underpins tagging schemes, discriminated unions, and sum types, where each tag corresponds to a unique domain. In database design, domainsdistinct supports constraint enforcement and clearer data integrity guarantees.

Examples: A domain of integers and a domain of textual codes can be kept distinct by reserving non-overlapping value sets (e.g., integers for one domain, strings for another). If a value space overlaps (e.g., a numeric string used in both), domainsdistinct is not satisfied without additional tagging.

Computational aspects: Checking domainsdistinct typically involves verifying pairwise disjointness of value sets, often by comparing domains or enforcing explicit type tags during data ingestion.

See also: disjointness, domain theory, discriminated unions, type systems, data validation.