Editing Domain of discourse (section)

{{Short description|Type of abstract object}}
[[File:Latex domain of discourse.svg|right|thumb|120px|A symbol for the set of domain of discourse]]

In the [[formal science]]s, the '''domain of discourse''' or '''universe of discourse''' (borrowing from the mathematical concept of ''[[universe (mathematics)|universe]]'') is the [[class (set theory)|set]] of entities over which certain [[variable (mathematics)|variable]]s of interest in some [[Mathematical logic#Formal logical systems|formal]] treatment may range.

It is also defined as the collection of objects being discussed in a specific [[discourse]].
In [[Semantics#Logic|model-theoretical semantics]], a universe of discourse is the set of entities that a model is based on. 

The domain of discourse is usually identified in the preliminaries, so that there is no need in the further treatment to specify each time the range of the relevant variables.<ref>Corcoran, John. ''Universe of discourse''. Cambridge Dictionary of Philosophy, Cambridge University Press, 1995, p. 941.</ref> Many logicians distinguish, sometimes only tacitly, between the ''domain of a science'' and the ''universe of discourse of a formalization of the science''.<ref>José Miguel Sagüillo, Domains of sciences, universe of discourse, and omega arguments, History and philosophy of logic, vol. 20 (1999), pp. 267–280.</ref>