Sign Relations • Graphical Representations

The dyadic components of sign relations have graph‑theoretic representations, as digraphs (or directed graphs), which provide concise pictures of their structural and potential dynamic properties.

By way of terminology, a directed edge (x, y) is called an arc from point x to point y, and a self‑loop (x, x) is called a sling at x.

The denotative components \mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{A}) and \mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{B}) can be represented as digraphs on the six points of their common world set W = O \cup S \cup I = \{ \mathrm{A}, \mathrm{B}, ``\text{A}", ``\text{B}", ``\text{i}", ``\text{u}" \}.  The arcs are given as follows.

Denotative Component \mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{A})
\mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{A}) has an arc from each point of \{ ``\text{A}", ``\text{i}" \} to \mathrm{A}.
\mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{A}) has an arc from each point of \{ ``\text{B}", ``\text{u}" \} to \mathrm{B}.
Denotative Component \mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{B})
\mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{B}) has an arc from each point of \{ ``\text{A}", ``\text{u}" \} to \mathrm{A}.
\mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{B}) has an arc from each point of \{ ``\text{B}", ``\text{i}" \} to \mathrm{B}.

\mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{A}) and \mathrm{Den}(L_\mathrm{B}) can be interpreted as transition digraphs which chart the succession of steps or the connection of states in a computational process.  If the graphs are read in that way, the denotational arcs summarize the upshots of the computations involved when the interpreters \mathrm{A} and \mathrm{B} evaluate the signs in S according to their own frames of reference.

The connotative components \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{A}) and \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{B}) can be represented as digraphs on the four points of their common syntactic domain S = I = \{ ``\text{A}", ``\text{B}", ``\text{i}", ``\text{u}" \}.  Since \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{A}) and \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{B}) are semiotic equivalence relations, their digraphs conform to the pattern manifested by all digraphs of equivalence relations.  In general, a digraph of an equivalence relation falls into connected components which correspond to the parts of the associated partition, with a complete digraph on the points of each part, and no other arcs.  In the present case, the arcs are given as follows.

Connotative Component \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{A})
\mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{A}) has the structure of a semiotic equivalence relation on S.
There is a sling at each point of S, arcs in both directions between the points of \{ ``\text{A}", ``\text{i}" \}, and arcs in both directions between the points of \{ ``\text{B}", ``\text{u}" \}.
Connotative Component \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{B})
\mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{B}) has the structure of a semiotic equivalence relation on S.
There is a sling at each point of S, arcs in both directions between the points of \{ ``\text{A}", ``\text{u}" \}, and arcs in both directions between the points of \{ ``\text{B}", ``\text{i}" \}.

Taken as transition digraphs, \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{A}) and \mathrm{Con}(L_\mathrm{B}) highlight the associations permitted between equivalent signs, as the equivalence is judged by the respective interpreters \mathrm{A} and \mathrm{B}.

Resources

cc: Academia.eduLaws of FormResearch GateSyscoi
cc: CyberneticsStructural ModelingSystems Science

This entry was posted in C.S. Peirce, Connotation, Denotation, Inquiry, Logic, Logic of Relatives, Mathematics, Relation Theory, Semiosis, Semiotic Equivalence Relations, Semiotics, Sign Relations, Triadic Relations and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

1 Response to Sign Relations • Graphical Representations

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