We (the authors) received a question about the diagram on pg 22 on "Underspecification, Misspecification, Overspecification": In Underspecification, why is the circle for Formal Spec larger than the circle for User Intent if the formal spec is smaller than the user intent?
This is a good question, and we apologize that our diagram (and accompanying description) is confusing.
When we were drawing this diagram, we thought of the circles as representing sets of solutions that are captured by the specs, rather than the set of conditions listed in the specs. For example, in Underspecification, the formal spec captures lots of solutions which do not fit the actual user intent.
We (the authors) received a question about the diagram on pg 22 on "Underspecification, Misspecification, Overspecification": In Underspecification, why is the circle for Formal Spec larger than the circle for User Intent if the formal spec is smaller than the user intent?
This is a good question, and we apologize that our diagram (and accompanying description) is confusing.
When we were drawing this diagram, we thought of the circles as representing sets of solutions that are captured by the specs, rather than the set of conditions listed in the specs. For example, in Underspecification, the formal spec captures lots of solutions which do not fit the actual user intent.
Hope this clarification clears up any confusion.