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What Makes an Effective Representation of Information: A Formal Account of Observational Advantages

Accepted version
Peer-reviewed

Type

Article

Change log

Authors

Shimojima, A 

Abstract

In order to effectively communicate information, the choice of representation is important. Ideally, a chosen representation will aid readers in making desired inferences. In this paper, we develop the theory of observation: what it means for one statement to be observable from another. Using observability, we give a formal characterization of the observational advantages of one representation of information over another. By considering observational advantages, people will be able to make better informed choices of representations of information. To demonstrate the benefit of observation and observational advantages, we apply these concepts to set theory and Euler diagrams. In particular, we can show that Euler diagrams have significant observational advantages over set theory. This formally justifies Larkin and Simon’s claim that “a diagram is (sometimes) worth ten thousand words”.

Description

Keywords

observation, free rides, inference, Euler diagrams, set theory

Journal Title

Journal of Logic, Language and Information

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0925-8531
1572-9583

Volume Title

26

Publisher

Springer
Sponsorship
Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2016-082)