Patterns & Metaphors
Arbitrary symbol
Template:
In classification an arbitrary symbol is a notational symbol, such as a punctuation mark or mathematical sign, which has no self-evident place in the filing order. The obstacles to development of a universal classification theory lie in the domains of logic and linguistics and in the given nature of the reference, i.e. its vocabulary and structure, which frequently reflect individual idiosyncrasies of nomenclature and style. In the light of this latter difficulty, outside the control of the classifier, there is probably an insufficiency of arbitrary symbols needed to control lexicon or thesaurus entries.
