@@ -97,6 +97,6 @@ class BuildingCollection extends Set {
Please notice that it is a simple example, and not implemented as such in the SimStadt data model. It is just an example to illustrate the relations / roles of an algebra as a mathematical concept, data types as an implementation of the algebra, and Java classes as an implementation of the data types. Algebra, data types, and Java class are similar concepts on a different level of abstraction.
The level of abstraction is similar to a mathematical function, an algorithm (implementation of a function) and Java Method (implementation of an algorithm). There are many different algorithms to implement the same mathematical function. And of course, an algorithm can be implemented by an infinite number of different implementations in Java and in other programming languages. But it is still the same algorithm. The same idea applies to data types and algebra. A data type can be implemented an invinite number of different Java classes and in other programming languages such as Fortran and C, as well as in INSEL, but it is still the same data type.
The level of abstraction is similar to a mathematical function, an algorithm (implementation of a function) and Java Method (implementation of an algorithm). There are many different algorithms to implement the same mathematical function. And of course, an algorithm can be implemented by an infinite number of different implementations in Java and in other programming languages. But it is still the same algorithm. The same idea applies to data types and algebra. A data type can be implemented an infinite number of different Java classes and in other programming languages such as Fortran and C, as well as in INSEL, but it is still the same data type.