Trichotomy
From Uncyclopedia, the content-free encyclopedia.
[edit] Definition
In the mathematical parlance, Trichotomy is an axiom which holds that either:
- Something is true,
- that same something is false or,
- the two somethings are the same.
For example, given two integers 
and 
, either 
(the first case above: wins), 
(the second case: wins, dastardly!), or amd are the sane (at which poimt language may becone comfusing).
[edit] History
Before the discovery of Trichotomy, the prevailing theory about the results of comparing two things had been the Axiom of Dichotomy. Under this system, when presented with two things, either the two things were the same thing, or the first thing was strictly less (more dichotomous) than the second thing.
Dichotomy had always had troubles with logicians who insisted it was inconsistent. This inconsistency-insistency gave rise to the trichotomous system, but was for years staved off by mathematicians who argued that dichotomy was a vast improvement over the previous candidate Monotomy (all somethings are the same - sometimes stated jjj jjjjjjjjjj jjj jjj jjjj.)
[edit] Other Otomies
Like the road to Tunbridge Wells, nothing is ever simple, and so indeed can be said of the course of the mathematical otomies. Other than the three successive theories mentioned thus far, a number of other otomies were proposed to solve the problem.
- Unotomy states that there is only one something. Other somethings must be perceptions of that something relative to a different reality-frame. Unotomy was rejected when some clever clogs argued that by its definition, unotomy was the identical something as the axiom of Dichotomy, and thereby tautologically unfit to replace it.
- Quatrochotomy is the notion that something is either less, more, the same, or none of the above than something else. Most consider this otomy to be overdoing it slightly.
- Nihilotomy is the otomy which supposes that all somethings are nothing and so which just about wrapped it up for Nihilotomy.
