Molecular orbitals (MOs) and density functional theory describe bonding without invoking discrete 'pairs,' suggesting pair language is convenient shorthand, not ontologically necessary.

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Convenient shorthand(as used in philosophy of science): A simplified way of describing or talking about something that makes communication easier, even if it doesn't perfectly reflect how reality actually works.
Density functional theory(as used in chemistry and philosophy of science): A modern method in chemistry that calculates how electrons behave in molecules by focusing on electron density rather than tracking individual electron positions.
Electron pairs(as used in chemistry and philosophy of science): In older chemical theories, the idea that atoms bond by sharing exactly two electrons—a concept now understood as a useful simplification rather than literally how bonding works.
Molecular orbitals (MOs)(as used in chemistry and philosophy of science): Mathematical descriptions of where electrons are likely to be found around atoms in a molecule, used by chemists to understand how atoms bond together.

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