Theory | EPFL Graph Search

Are you an EPFL student looking for a semester project?

Work with us on data science and visualisation projects, and deploy your project as an app on top of GraphSearch.

A theory is a rational type of abstract thinking about a phenomenon, or the results of such thinking. The process of contemplative and rational thinking is often associated with such processes as observational study or research. Theories may be scientific, belong to a non-scientific discipline, or no discipline at all. Depending on the context, a theory's assertions might, for example, include generalized explanations of how nature works. The word has its roots in ancient Greek, but in modern use it has taken on several related meanings. In modern science, the term "theory" refers to scientific theories, a well-confirmed type of explanation of nature, made in a way consistent with the scientific method, and fulfilling the criteria required by modern science. Such theories are described in such a way that scientific tests should be able to provide empirical support for it, or empirical contradiction ("falsify") of it. Scientific theories are the most reliable, rigorous, and comprehensive form of scientific knowledge, in contrast to more common uses of the word "theory" that imply that something is unproven or speculative (which in formal terms is better characterized by the word hypothesis). Scientific theories are distinguished from hypotheses, which are individual empirically testable conjectures, and from scientific laws, which are descriptive accounts of the way nature behaves under certain conditions. Theories guide the enterprise of finding facts rather than of reaching goals, and are neutral concerning alternatives among values. A theory can be a body of knowledge, which may or may not be associated with particular explanatory models. To theorize is to develop this body of knowledge. The word theory or "in theory" is sometimes used erroneously by people to explain something which they individually did not experience or test before. In those instances, semantically, it is being substituted for another concept, a hypothesis. Instead of using the word "hypothetically", it is replaced by a phrase: "in theory".

About this result

This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Related publications (188)

Related people (138)

Related units (2)

Related concepts (148)

Related courses (121)

Related lectures (484)

Related MOOCs (17)

Nonperturbative Quantum Field Theory in Curved Spacetime

Kamran Salehi Vaziri

Quantum Field Theory(QFT) as one of the most promising frameworks to study high energy and condensed matter physics, has been mostly developed by perturbative methods. However, perturbative methods ca

EPFL2022

In this dissertation, I develop theory and evidence to argue that new technologies are central to how firms organize to create and capture value. I use computational methods such as reinforcement lear

EPFL2022

Principles of checkpoint override

Ahmad Sadeghi

Why biological quality-control systems fail is often mysterious. Specifically, checkpoints such as the DNA damage checkpoint or the spindle assembly checkpoint are overriden after prolonged arrests al

EPFL2022

CS-455: Topics in theoretical computer science

The students gain an in-depth knowledge of several current and emerging areas of theoretical computer science. The course familiarizes them with advanced techniques, and develops an understanding of f

CS-550: Formal verification

We introduce formal verification as an approach for developing highly reliable systems. Formal verification finds proofs that computer systems work under all relevant scenarios. We will learn how to u

MATH-211: Group Theory

Après une introduction à la théorie des catégories, nous appliquerons la théorie générale au cas particulier des groupes, ce qui nous permettra de bien mettre en perspective des notions telles que quo

Sociology

Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. In simple words sociology is the scientific study of society. It uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about social order and social change. While some sociologists conduct research that may be applied directly to social policy and welfare, others focus primarily on refining the theoretical understanding of social processes and phenomenological method.

Theory

Reality

Reality is the sum or aggregate of all that is real or existent within a system, as opposed to that which is only imaginary, nonexistent or nonactual. The term is also used to refer to the ontological status of things, indicating their existence. In physical terms, reality is the totality of a system, known and unknown. Philosophical questions about the nature of reality or existence or being are considered under the rubric of ontology, which is a major branch of metaphysics in the Western philosophical tradition.

Ce cours présente les principes du fonctionnement, du dimensionnement et de la conception des structures. L'approche est basée sur une utilisation de la statique graphique et traite en particulier des

L'art des structures propose une découverte du fonctionnement des structures porteuses, telles que les bâtiments, les toitures ou les ponts. Ce cours présente les principes du dimensionnement et les s

With every smartphone and computer now boasting multiple processors, the use of functional ideas to facilitate parallel programming is becoming increasingly widespread. In this course, you'll learn th

Explores active learning in Group Theory, focusing on products, coproducts, adjunctions, and natural transformations.

Covers the theory of groups and homotopical algebra, emphasizing natural transformations, identities, and isomorphism of categories.

Explores the arithmetic of direct sums in group theory, discussing conditions for equality.