Ok, here's a research project for anyone willing to take it on (Brad, Lindsey, hint-hint).
There is a standard for the notation of Analogy in testing, using the colon as a symbol. for example;
Black:White::Hot:Cold would read Black "is to" White "as" Hot "is to" Cold.
Your mission? Tell me what set of standard symbols, notation, whatever, the colon is being used in, and what it is called.
Ideally, it would be a part of a set of recognized notation standards, such as this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mathmatical_notation
And, no, I don't know the answer already. Good luck!
ps, bonus points if you know the answer to the analogy in the title, and in what 90's song it appears.
Toby
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7 comments:
Here's a start:
In mathematics, the single colon means "to" such as in ratios where 4:1 means "four to one".
As far as the double colon, I found this:
Proportion. The symbol :: was introduced by William Oughtred (1574-1660) in Clavis Mathematicae, composed about 1628 and published in London in 1631. He wrote a proportion as a.b::c.d (Gullberg).
The astronomer Vincent Wing (1619-1668) used colons to write a proportion in the modern notation, as A:B::C:D, in 1651 in Harmonicon Celeste (Cajori vol. 1, page 286).
I found this at http://members.aol.com/jeff570/relation.html
Here is something else:
In his Clavis mathematicae Oughtred describes the Hindu-Arabic system of mathematical notation, sets forth the theory of decimal fractions, and includes a detailed discussion of algebra. Throughout the work he incorporates a number of mathematical shorthand notations he had devised as a way to denote powers, relationships, ratios, and the like. While much of Oughtred's mathematical shorthand was rejected by readers as being too complicated, two of his symbols - "X" for multiplication and "::" for proportion - have gone on to become part of universal mathematical shorthand.
http://www.answers.com/topic/william-oughtred
Also, it sounds like the A:B::C:D is the old-school way of writing the proportional math equation of A:B=C:D Like 4:2=8:X (therefore X=4)
http://www.pballew.net/arithme8.html#proport (look under "proportion")
According to Wikipedia the old school format is called the "Aristotelian format". However, I really can't verify that because I can't find any other definition of this besides exact plagarizations of the term.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Analogy#Identity_of_relation
Okay, I think I am done now. I will let Lindsey answer the Woman:Man::Fish:____. We think it's a sarcastic analogy, and not a true analogy.
As for the bonus points:
If you are reffering to the U2 song "Zoo Station", then I guess the answer would be:
Woman:Man::Fish:Bicycle
Good research work Brad!
I'm sure Lindsey got the answer Toby was looking for because of the song clue but I was think "fisherman" might be appropriate.
Brad, you are amazing - I though my skills in internet research were good, but I didn't come nearly this close.
Lindsey was close, the song is "Tryin' to Throw Your Arms Around the World" from U2's Actung Baby Album.
It's actually not an analogy, because the song says Woman "needs" man, like a fish needs a bicycle which I always thought was a funny line in a great song.
My goodness you guys. I am pretty sure I am not related to you all. You are at a totally different place.
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