Culture’s Definition
N.E.Myridis
Assistant Professor, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-54124,
Thessaloniki, Greece
Abstract— This paper introduces the criteria for the
construction of an exact definition of Culture using individual
factors of the definition. The achievement of a strict definition
has obviously beneficial impact on all the aspects of Culture and
Cultural Heritage. Finally, the Culture’s Definition Diagram is
introduced.
Index Terms— Culture’s Definition Diagram, the whole of
Culture, definition’s exactness indicators.
I. INTRODUCTION
The word Culture is apparently a term having so many
definitions; for instance, in ancient languages the origin of this
term is the ancient verb meaning ‘to build cities’ [1], [2].
In this paper the effort to redefine the term of Culture is
undertaken not in exclusively new terms but in terms of
revealing its elements and, consequently, re-forming a self-
understandable definition. Culture tends to team up with other
common terms (such as for instance: society, education etc.).
The common characteristic of these terms are their (a) wide
use, (b) common perception and (c) the lack of a unique and
absolute definition. The endeavor of constructing strict
definitions will give definite criteria to the people and systems
related to Culture and Culture Heritage in order to systemize,
classify and evaluate culture-related entities.
II. DEFINITION OF CULTURE
(a)An engineering perspective. The necessity of
constructing a definition of Culture is primarily due to reasons
of:
(a) analyticity
(b) foundation
(c) ontology [3], or even
(d) etymology
Moreover this necessity could be also drawn from reasons
of:
(e) engineering
(f) computing.
Thus an algorithmic (computerized) transaction of Culture can
be launched.
(b) The ontology of definition. What is ‘culture’? This is a
question with immeasurable answers. In what follows the paper
introspects in the analytic approach of the exact definition of
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the term Culture. For the sake of presentation five dominants
domains are used. Each domain includes additional inner
categories.
(1) Fundamental aspects. The fundamental aspects for
defining culture are:
a. The definer
b. The system (wherein the definer is located)
c. The former knowledge
d. The former experience
e. The acceptability of the society etc.
(2) Hypostatic aspects. The next step is: culture may have
two basic forms of hypostasis, i.e.:
a. The Materialistic (or, tangible) form
b. The Immaterialistic (or, intangible) form.
(3) Characteristic aspects. Moreover there are elements
creating Culture [4]. Such elements are:
a. scripts
b. monuments etc.
(4) Source aspects. Another fact is the source of culture.
Among the various components, the following examples could
be cited
a. professions
b. nations etc.
(5) Elementary aspects. Finally, it is necessary to clarify the
requirements of characterizing an element of culture, i.e.
a. the impact of the element
b. the extent of the source etc.
III. GRAPHS OF CULTURE’S DEFINITION
The definition can be schematically represented as a whole.
Thus, the Culture’s definition polygon (pentagon in this case)
results (Fig. 1(a)). By using additional domains, a higher order
polygon will result. The limit of the overall absolute definition
is the Circle of the Culture’s Definition, when N → ∞ domains
are used (Fig. 1(a)). When polygons are used then the diagram
may be named as linear.
Moreover, the observer can proceed further. Thus, another
polygon (pentagon) may be appended to each side of the
polygon (pentagon); a diagram results, namely the Culture’s
Definition Diagram (Fig. 1(b)) [Platonic solid] [5]. The
pentagon is used as secondary scheme too, due to the fact that,
in the previous discussion, the maximum number of categories
in the domains of the overall definition is N=5. It is obvious
that polygons with more sides could be used. The number of
the edges of each secondary pentagon equals to the total
number of categories used in the specific domain of the overall
definition.
There are immeasurable such diagrams depending on the
diverse parameters. For instance, some representative types of
such diagrams are cited in Fig.2 (see also tilings (e.g.[6]) &
tessellations (e.g. [7]). In Fig.2(a) a tiling is depicted using
standard definition’s polygon cell (hexagonal). Fig.2(b)
illustrates another possible scheme (tiling) referring to a
recursive form ordered by a specific norm (proposed by the
author). The scheme of an ordered by norm, alias-free coverage
is drawn. In this specific case the norm is 2x, i.e. a norm of (b)
sides’ duplication in each subcategory of the definition. Fig.2. Examples of linear Culture’s Definition Diagrams: (a) tiling using
standard definition’s polygon cell (b) ordered by a specific norm.

We should also observe that there are two wider families of

possible diagrams: (a) complete coverage diagrams, and (b)
incomplete coverage diagrams.
A. Circular Diagrams of Definition
We present now the case of the limit for the absolute
definition of Culture, using as cell a circle. In this case we may
observe two forms (Fig.3):
(a) (a) circular without alias (Fig.3a)
(b) aliased circular (Fig.3b)
We easily observe that the aliased form allows higher
density of definitions’ elements than the non-aliased case.
However aliased coverage provides more complicated
definitions.

(a)
Fig.1. (a) The polygon & the case of the limit (the Circle of the Culture’s
definition) (b) The Culture’s Definition Diagram

(a)

(a) (b)
Fig.3. The (circular) Culture’s Definition Diagram using infinite
categories. (a) Circular illustration without alias. (b) Aliased circular diagram.

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 There are consequently the following possible kinds of a
definition diagram:
(a) linear
(b) circular aliased
(c) non-aliased
(d) complete coverage
(e) incomplete coverage
Finally we could use the aforementioned diagrams as
indicators of the completeness of the definition (definition’s
exactness indicators). Therefore three independent cases are
created, i.e.:
(a) an incomplete coverage creates an approximate
definition (sub-definition),
(b) a (circular) complete coverage gives an (exact)
definition without redundancy,
(c) a (circular) aliased coverage produces (exact) definition
with redundancy (over-definition).
The circular diagrams refer to the absolute (exact)
definitions. However, we assume that the non-aliased complete
circular coverage refers to an exact definition, although there
are (unavoidable) empty spaces. Finally, there are obviously
incomplete circular diagrams, aliased or alias-free.
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IV. CONCLUSION
An observer should notice the lack of definitions in many
of the fields in Science & Technology. In this paper the
methodology of constructing an exact definition regarding the
term of Culture was launched. This perspective introduces new
statements and processes in order (a) to anticipate new
products and entities related to Culture and (b) to re-estimate
already existed cultural objects. The overall anticipated
advantages of the herein introduced definition’s methodology
are multiple, affecting the whole space of Culture in every next
step.
REFERENCES
[1] Adler, Ada (editor). 1928-1938. Suidae Lexicon. Stuttgart:
Verlag Teubner (in 5 volumes).
[2] Myridis, N.E. 2013. Observational Information. Thessaloniki.
[3] Gomez-Perez, A., Fernandez-Lopez, M., and Corcho, O. 2004.
Ontological Engineering. London: Springer.
[4] Cameron, F., and Kenderdine, S. (editors). 2007. Theorizing
Digital Cultural Heritage. Cambridge: MIT Press.
[5] Gross, J., and Yellen, J. 2004. Handbook of Graph Theory.
BocaRaton: CRC Press.
[6] Grunbaum, B., and Shephard, G.C. 2012. Tilings and Patterns.
Dover Publications.
[7] Britton, J., 2000. Symmetry and tessellations. Dale Seymour
Publications.