INTRODUCTION
The Lewis-McKinley Symbolic Language (LMSL) was invented by Clovice A. Lewis, Jr. on March 31, 2000. It was inspired by a conversation with Roger McKinley, who was in need of a means to graphically depict abstract concepts he taught as part of his "Course in Fundamentals". A paper by Lewis describing the complete history and uses of systems created to symbolically convey information can be found here. A General Specification provides guidelines for the creation of LMSL diagrams, both without a specific computer application, as well as by means of a computer application specifically designed for such called the Presentation Engine. The LMSL allows users to describe the evolution of practically any system using simple, intuitive symbology and/or color. The evolutionary aspect of the language was largely stimulated by the "meme" concept introduced in the groundbreaking book entitled "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins, which was first published in 1976.
The definition of "evolution" is: "any process of formation or growth; gradual development". Because development is time-dependent, to describe the evolution of any system requires that it is pictured for a brief moment within a series of successive moments... like the individual frames of a movie. As with a movie, the addition of color and sound enhance the story being conveyed. The LMSL is analogous to telling stories using a comic book format, where each panel represents a part of the story. It is left to the author to decide the amount of information, the arrangement of elements, and order of each panel to arrive at the most effective means of communication.
The basic elements of the LMSL are the following:
A simple way of visualizing how the LMSL works is to imagine everything as a story unfolding over time (an evolutionary process). Entities are people, places, and things which populate the story (the system). The way communication and action between entities is accomplished, and how the entities respond to that communication or action is interaction. Whether an entity has a beneficial, harmful, or neutral effect in the system is its mode; the "health" of the entity (whether it is feeling good, half-fueled, or just about to die) is its condition. A timeframe is any segment of time that allows for a meaningful understanding of changes in a system. These time segments are called "Schemas" when a two-dimensional representation of a system is used, and "States" when an animated, or 3-Dimensional representation of the system is used.
The LMSL is a subjective language; definitions and meanings are entirely left to the author. The only requirements of the language are that any symbology employed is self-consistent, a legend is always included, and that the syntax and rules of the language are observed.
The LMSL is designed to allow a person to create graphic representations of abstract concepts using a variety of tools, from pencil and paper to sophisticated computer-generated programs. A few standard symbol sets are described in this document. The power and flexibility of the language lies in the fact that a user can create their own formats and variations of styles. Future implementations of the LMSL will include computer programs that will automatically create Schema and State depictions based upon user input of definitions, symbology, and timeframes. Depictions will range from simple black and white line drawings to fully interactive 3-D models and animation with sound and color.
The definition of "evolution" is: "any process of formation or growth; gradual development". Because development is time-dependent, to describe the evolution of any system requires that it is pictured for a brief moment within a series of successive moments... like the individual frames of a movie. As with a movie, the addition of color and sound enhance the story being conveyed. The LMSL is analogous to telling stories using a comic book format, where each panel represents a part of the story. It is left to the author to decide the amount of information, the arrangement of elements, and order of each panel to arrive at the most effective means of communication.
The basic elements of the LMSL are the following:
- Entity - a constituent element of a system
- Interaction - the type of communication or contact between entities
- Mode - the effect of an entity on a system at a given point in time
- Condition - the "status" of an entity
- Timeframe - an arbitrary unit of time within which interaction occurs between entities
- System - set of entities or parts forming a whole
A simple way of visualizing how the LMSL works is to imagine everything as a story unfolding over time (an evolutionary process). Entities are people, places, and things which populate the story (the system). The way communication and action between entities is accomplished, and how the entities respond to that communication or action is interaction. Whether an entity has a beneficial, harmful, or neutral effect in the system is its mode; the "health" of the entity (whether it is feeling good, half-fueled, or just about to die) is its condition. A timeframe is any segment of time that allows for a meaningful understanding of changes in a system. These time segments are called "Schemas" when a two-dimensional representation of a system is used, and "States" when an animated, or 3-Dimensional representation of the system is used.
The LMSL is a subjective language; definitions and meanings are entirely left to the author. The only requirements of the language are that any symbology employed is self-consistent, a legend is always included, and that the syntax and rules of the language are observed.
The LMSL is designed to allow a person to create graphic representations of abstract concepts using a variety of tools, from pencil and paper to sophisticated computer-generated programs. A few standard symbol sets are described in this document. The power and flexibility of the language lies in the fact that a user can create their own formats and variations of styles. Future implementations of the LMSL will include computer programs that will automatically create Schema and State depictions based upon user input of definitions, symbology, and timeframes. Depictions will range from simple black and white line drawings to fully interactive 3-D models and animation with sound and color.
