Overlap and Separation Principle Questions

[lsathelpwanted]

1. Overlap Principle Question: Dave writes, "When members of two separate variable sets are both assigned into a fixed number of spaces, there will be an overlap between the groups if the sum of the two groups is greater than the total number of spaces".

If the sum between two variables sets is greater than the amount of available spaces, is the difference between that sum and the available spaces the minimum amount of overlaps that must occur? The book just uses a +1 example and my dubious attempt at solving this, which is below, seems to indicate that this is the case.

7 cars total
5 R’s (red)
4 C’s (convertibles)

(5 R’s + 4 C’s) — 7 Available Spaces = 2

R R R R R _ _
_ _ _ C C C C

So here we have at least two overlaps. This appears to hold true even when continually adding an additional occurrence of a variable. ie, 6 R's +4 C's is 10. Minus 7 spaces is 3. So we have at minimum, 3 red convertibles.

R R R R R R _
_ _ _ C C C C


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2. Separation Principle Question: I think I get the concept. But I definitely don't understand how to use it. Could you please try and explain the application? My best take from this is I think it's a tool/framework for when I see not-blocks that keep two or more variables from being adjacent, I am to immediately look for these not-blocks resulting in the variables placement being in a fixed position?

Thank you for any help.

[Dave Killoran]

Hi Help!

For your questions:

1. Yes, it works that way

2. You aren't using it so much as recognizing it when it appears. In this sense, it's not a tool like a Not Law or a conditional representation, but instead a feature that a game might have that you are then able to recognize. In this sense it's a very passive thing: if it's not present, you ignore the idea. If it it present, that's when you have to recognize that it exists and track the effects.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

[lsathelpwanted]

Hi Help!

For your questions:

1. Yes, it works that way

2. You aren't using it so much as recognizing it when it appears. In this sense, it's not a tool like a Not Law or a conditional representation, but instead a feature that a game might have that you are then able to recognize. In this sense it's a very passive thing: if it's not present, you ignore the idea. If it it present, that's when you have to recognize that it exists and track the effects.

Please let me know if that helps. Thanks!

1. Nice!

2. I think we are on two sides of the same coin here.

Thank you Dave!