All-or-nothing principle
The all-or-nothing principle called into many scientific areas and in the jurisprudence occurring principle .
Natural sciences
In natural science, the all-or-nothing principle describes a principle in which a system returns a predefined state either completely ( all ) or not at all ( nothing ) based on an input value that can be varied at will . The input value must exceed a certain limit value (threshold value).
Examples
- a switch works on the all-or-nothing principle; a certain pressure (threshold value) must be exerted in order to activate it (and thus e.g. to switch a lamp on or off)
- In digital information processing , a certain voltage must be exceeded in order to return the Boolean true (1) as the result, otherwise the result is false (0)
- For the conduction of excitation in a nerve cell , the action potential must overcome the so-called threshold potential in order to open the sodium channels and be passed on
Demarcation
The all-or-nothing principle must be differentiated from principles in which the input values are mapped proportionally to the output values. The classic example of such a proportional principle is pressing the accelerator or brake pedal of a motor vehicle. The further it is pushed through, the further the throttle valve is / are opened / the brake pads are pressed against the brake discs and thus a variable output value is produced.
Jurisprudence
In German private insurance law , the all-or-nothing principle described the principle according to which non-contractual behavior by the policyholder linked the full freedom of the insurer to provide benefits as a legal consequence. With the reform of the Insurance Contract Act in 2007, the all-or-nothing principle was replaced by a tiered model based on the degree of fault of the policyholder (quota system).