SUO: Web site on concept maps
Following is a web page that discusses informal concept maps and
compares them to more formal notations, including EGs and CGs:
http://sern.ucalgary.ca/courses/SENG/611/F99/ConceptMaps/ConceptMaps.html
Following are some excerpts from the text (which is accompanied by
good illustrations).
John Sowa
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Informal concept might be used for
children and "naive" users (such as executives)
in meetings (such as brainstorming sessions) where ease and speed
of information capture is more important than formal correctness
when the domain, exact purpose, or knowledge stucture is unclear
Informal Concept maps such as this one are used in education. The
student draws a concept map which is evaluated by the instructor to
determine if the student understands the concept. This method allows
evaluation without the constraints and predujices introduced in more
traditional evaluation techniques....
This concept map was developed by a group of three IT professionals
brainstorming a new network architecture. They used a multi-user
concept mapping application which allowed them a shared workspace.
They were in the same room, so they could talk and guesture to one
another.....
This semi-formal concept map describes the factors influencing cell
division and run-away cell division: cancer. It neatly summarizes an
extremely complex paper in a single visual presentation....
Formal concept maps are used when there is a need for precision without
amiguity. Situations when formal concept maps are appropriately used
are:
unambiguously expressing a design or architechure
there is a need for interpretation by a computer
there is a need for precision....
Peirce's Existential graphs are equivelent to first order logic but are
entirely visual (hierarchically node-based concept maps). Some informal
experiments have shown existential graphs to be a far easier medium in
which to learn first order logic than the standard (text-based)
notation.
The illustration shows how a 6 step proof in standard notation is only
a 1 step proof in existential graphs.