[sc34wg3] Mathematical model (was SAM-issue term-scope-def)

[Bernard Vatant]

*Lars Marius
> A model theory sounds good, but I know we have some graph-heads in the
> room, and I'm not really competent to judge which will better serve
> our needs. Attempts to enlighten me on the issue are welcome, of
> course. :)

A graph model is certainly what is most natural and understandable, for all reasons I've
already mentioned, among which legacy of powerful algorithms. Remember I've been working
on one proposal, athough I got stuck at some points, and it figures they are points that
are also issues for SAM, e.g. scope and templates.

> | But there is certainly some set of axioms that we use to make our
> | judgments.  This set of axioms could be called "Processing Model".
> | Interestingly enough it sounds that neither RM, nor SAM pretend to
> | cover it.
>
> That is true. The PMTM4 proponents have made "this-is-a-graph-and-
> therefore-maths"-like noises in the past, but I'm not sure if they
> would make the same claim of the RM.

The claim is questionable for both PMTM4 and RM. If you pretend a model to be a
mathematical graph model, you ground it on proper graph theory. Neither PMTM4 nor RM did
that, and to be fair, I don't think their authors did have any pretention to that.

> The SAM is clearly not a maths model, and I think it is better for it
> not to be. That leaves the ground free for one (or more) mathematical
> model(s) and at the same time gives them something to build on that is
> a level above the syntaxes.
>
> Should a mathematical model build on SAM or the RM? I don't know. For
> all I know it may be the bridge between them.

Hmm. That does not make much sense to me. I would tend to set the question the other way
round : Should SAM and RM be built on top of a mathematical model? And of course to answer
"yes"

> It may be that the time for WG3 to decide that there will be a
> mathematical model has come. Or it may be that we should wait for a
> volunteer. It should be discussed, anyway.

Great. BTW do you mean a volunteer for building a model, or a candidate model?

Bernard