Cogwheels of the Mind: the Story of Venn Diagrams.COGWHEELS OF THE MIND: The Story of Venn Diagrams A graphic technique for visualizing set theory concepts using overlapping circles and shading to indicate intersection, union and complement. It was introduced in the late 1800s by English logician, John Venn, although it is believed that the method originated earlier. A.W.F. EDWARDS The idea is simple Three overlapping circles intersect to create eight distinct areas Despite their simplicity, such diagrams can be used to represent complex logical propositions and algebraic 1. (language) ALGEBRAIC - An early system on MIT's Whirlwind. [CACM 2(5):16 (May 1959)]. 2. (theory) algebraic - In domain theory, a complete partial order is algebraic if every element is the least upper bound of some chain of compact elements. statements In charting the history of Venn diagrams, Edwards reveals that John Venn Noun 1. John Venn - English logician who introduced Venn diagrams (1834-1923) Venn devised the diagrams in the late 1880s in an effort to create a symbolic logic symbolic logic or mathematical logic, formalized system of deductive logic, employing abstract symbols for the various aspects of natural language. , Since then, the diagrams have permeated art and economics, as well as mathematics and logic. Edwards surveys these applications and considers other diagrammatic schemes, including that of Charles Dodson (a.k.a Lewis Carroll) as well as presenting his own take on venn diagrams--the seven-set Adelaide variation. John Hopkins, 2004, 110 p., color/b&w photos/illus., hardcover, $25.00. |
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