Preliminary Clarification of Some Problems of Processing Networks of Entities

Mapping psycho-social relationships meaningfully

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Preliminary Clarification of Some Problems of Processing Networks of Entities
Generalization of problem situation

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Introduction

There are a series of problems to be solved in order to process sequentially ordered entities whose interrelationships are given
into    

1. A three-dimensional spherical volume in which the entities should be positioned with minimum distortion of their relationships;
   followed by  
2. Reduction of the three-dimensional projection to a projection onto the surface of a sphere;
   followed by  
3. Reprojection to permit plotting of the sphere surface on a planar surface.

The solution to such problems, adapted to the processing of relationships held on magnetic tape, should be used to supply meaningful maps of relationships between psycho-social entities, such as described in the following papers by the author, namely:

• organizations
  • Information systems and inter-organisational space. Annuals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, January 1971
  • Inter-organization data and data bank design (Paper presented at a panel of the International Studies Association, San Juan, 1971)
    
• problems
  • World problems and human development,  Brussels, Union of International Associations, 1972
    
• concepts
  • Toward a concept inventory:  suggestions for a computerized procedure.  (Paper presented to Research Committee 1, Committee on Conceptual and Terminological Analysis, IPSA, Montreal 1973)  This paper relates these problems to other attempts at processing networks.
    

or even between all three as suggested in

Computer-aided visualization of psycho-social structures (Paper presented to an AAAS symposium, Philadelphia, December 1971)