[sc34wg3] RM4TM SLUO : Objective or Requirement?

[Marc de Graauw]

* Bernard Vatant

| 3.4.1   One subject for each node
|
| "In topic map graphs, only nodes can represent subjects, and every node
represents a
| single subject." [1]

<skipped/>

| If I understand well the SLUO, out of RM prose and recent Steve Newcomb's
comments,
| SLUO is not expressed by 3.4.1 but by the reverse:
|
| "In a topic map graph, every subject is represented by a single node" [2]
|
| That I can't find anywhere explicitly expressed in the document - did I miss
it?
| I assume 3.4.1. means what it says. If it is intended to express also the
SLUO, it's a bug
| to be fixed.

3.9 says:

"In a well-formed topic map graph, every node represents a single subject, but
some subjects may be represented by more than one node. In a fully merged
topic map graph, every subject is represented by a single node."

| OTOH if SLUO is only an Objective, it should be expressed by:
|
| Recommendation:
| "In a topic map graph, every subject *should be* (as far as possible)
represented by a
| single node" [3]

I completely agree. SLUO can never be more than a (very important) design
guideline. One can never be sure subjects are actually represented by only one
node (topic) since human knowledge is only partial...

Marc