Science Fair Project Encyclopedia
Positive
- In common usage positive is sometimes used in affirmation, as a synonym for "yes" or to express "certainty".
- In mathematics, a number is called positive if it is bigger than zero. See negative and non-negative numbers.
- In functional analysis, a bounded linear operator is positive if its spectrum consists of positive real numbers.
- In physics, one distinguishes positive and negative electric charges.
- In optics, converging lenses are also called positive lenses.
- If a medical test for a certain disease is applied, the outcome is termed positive if the disease is detected.
- In the humanities and social sciences, a theory is called positive if it aims to describe what is the case as opposed to what ought to be the case. See positive science.
- In philosophy, positivism is the name for theories which aim to be based on facts alone, eschewing metaphysics and religion.
See also "negative" and "normative."
11-30-2008 18:11:33
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The contents of this article is licensed from www.wikipedia.org under the GNU Free Documentation License. Click here to see the transparent copy and copyright details