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mp-units/docs/framework/basic_concepts.rst

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.. namespace:: units
Basic Concepts
==============
The most important concepts in the library are `Unit`, `Dimension`,
`Quantity`, and `QuantityPoint`:
.. image:: /_static/img/concepts.png
:align: center
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[<abstract>Dimension|
[base_dimension<Symbol, Unit>]<-[exponent<Dimension, Num, Den>]
[derived_dimension<Child, Unit, Exponent...>]<-[exponent<Dimension, Num, Den>]
[exponent<Dimension, Num, Den>]<-[derived_dimension<Child, Unit, Exponent...>]
]
[<abstract>QuantityPoint|
[quantity_point<Dimension, Unit, Rep>]
]
[<abstract>Unit]<-[Dimension]
[Dimension]<-[Quantity]
[Unit]<-[Quantity]
[Quantity]<-[QuantityPoint]
`Unit` is a basic building block of the library. Every dimension works with
a concrete hierarchy of units. Such hierarchy defines a reference unit and
often a few scaled versions of it.
`Dimension` concept matches a dimension of either a base or derived quantity.
`base_dimension` is instantiated with a unique symbol identifier and a base
unit. `derived_dimension` is a list of exponents of either base or other
derived dimensions.
`Quantity` is a concrete amount of a unit for a specified dimension with a
specific representation.
`QuantityPoint` is an absolute `Quantity` with respect to some origin.