[Sigia-l] IA system components ? add to the list!
Boniface Lau
boniface_lau at compuserve.com
Fri Mar 14 20:09:49 EST 2003
> From: sigia-l-admin at asis.org [mailto:sigia-l-admin at asis.org]On
> Behalf Of Listera
>
> "Boniface Lau" wrote:
>
> > That just reinforces my point: because the maps were well-defined,
> > the Portuguese could verify that the maps were not correct.
>
> Geez, I don't want to belabor this tautology any further,
How is this a tautology?
> but when you get a chance take a look at a Ptolemic map and ask
> yourself if it has any affinity to the word 'well-defined'
> whatsoever or if, as a captain, you'd ever consent to be guided by
> it in the middle of the ocean, circa late 1500s.
As I had explained to you earlier, well-defined does not mean matching
reality. Well-defined simply means something is clear and precise and
therefore easy to recognize or understand.
A map with regions clearly defined is a well-defined map. A
well-defined map can depict reality or imagination. Using a
well-defined imagination-based map to navigate reality will have
problem. But that map is still a well-defined map.
Boniface
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