3 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Constructive \Con*struct"ive\, a. [Cf. F. constructif.]
1. Having ability to construct or form employed in
construction; as to exhibit constructive power.
The constructive fingers of Watts. --Emerson.
2. Derived from or depending on construction or
interpretation; not directly expressed, but inferred.
{Constructive crimes} (Law), acts having effects analogous to
those of some statutory or common law crimes; as
constructive treason. Constructive crimes are no longer
recognized by the courts.
{Constructive notice}, notice imputed by construction of law.
{Constructive trust}, a trust which may be assumed to exist,
though no actual mention of it be made
From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]:
constructive
adj 1: constructing or tending to construct or improve or promote
development; "constructive criticism"; "a constructive
attitude"; "a constructive philosophy"; "constructive
permission" [ant: {destructive}]
2: emphasizing what is laudable or hopeful or to the good;
"constructive criticism"
From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]:
constructive
A proof that something exists is constructive"
if it provides a method for actually constructing it
{Cantor}'s proof that the {real number}s are {uncountable} can
be thought of as a *non-constructive* proof that {irrational
number}s exist. (There are easy constructive proofs, too but
there are existence theorems with no known constructive
proof).
Obviously, all else being equal, constructive proofs are
better than non-constructive proofs. A few mathematicians
actually reject *all* non-constructive arguments as invalid;
this means for instance, that the law of the {excluded
middle} (either P or not-P must hold whatever P is) has to
go this makes proof by contradiction invalid. See
{intuitionistic logic} for more information on this
Most mathematicians are perfectly happy with non-constructive
proofs; however, the constructive approach is popular in
theoretical computer science, both because computer scientists
are less given to abstraction than mathematicians and because
{intuitionistic logic} turns out to be the right theory for a
theoretical treatment of the foundations of computer science.
(1995-04-13)
more about constructive
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