Graphical Rational Patterns. A New Approach to Graphical Presentation of Statistics

This book introduces a device whereby an integer is represented by a cluster of marks (a "graphical rational pattern") whose total inked area is proportional to the magnitude of the number. Preprinted patterns on adhesive paper can make readily available the techniques which are described. For example, by repeating patterns over the regions of a geographical statistical map we associate an integer with each region to produce simultaneously both the qualitative and quantitative pictures. Another example is tha t if on maps of traffic intensity we place the patterns along the roads, then we avoid the unsatisfactory results of bounding the roads with strips of width proportional to the intensity. As well as in cases such as these, this book advocates the use of graphical patterns in tables of statistical data; this reviewer however feels that if we use the patterns merely to represent numbers pictorially, then we are needlessly involved in their decoding. The text unfortunately reads like a manual, when, because these valuable techniques have not yet been completely formalized, perhaps a less detailed account would be of greater use. However, the book is generously packed with illustrations, which in themselves make it a welcome contribution to the literature of descriptive statistics.