Graphical representation is the map of relationships within the atlas. It does not display pages as an ordered list, but as a network: each page appears as a node, and every internal link between two pages appears as a line. It is therefore useful for understanding the movement of an idea within Shahrur’s project: from book to concept, from concept to claim, and from claim to verse or reading path.
What do you see on the map?
- Node: a page within the atlas, such as a book, concept, claim atom, reading path, or verse page.
- Link: an internal relationship between two pages, resulting from an explicit link within the content.
- Proximity and clustering: pages with dense connections appear close to one another, indicating a thematic or conceptual center.
- Isolated nodes: pages with few links often need better editorial linking or a review of their place within the atlas.
The local map and the global map
The small map beside the page is the local map. It begins from the current page and shows its immediate surroundings: what points to it, and what it points to.
The expand button within the map opens the global map. This displays the wider atlas network and helps reveal centers of gravity: the most connected books, cross-cutting concepts, and pages that link distant sections.
How do you use it in the Shahrur atlas?
Begin with the atlas map because it gathers the major entry points and shows the place of the graphical representation within the atlas structure. From there, you can move to a book, concept, or reading path, then observe the pages near it: the concepts, claims, verses, and books connected to it.
The map is especially useful in these cases:
- Tracing a concept that recurs across more than one book.
- Seeing how claims cluster around a larger structure.
- Discovering pages that link two distant topics.
- Reviewing link quality: is the idea connected to its source? Is the claim connected to its concept? Is the page isolated for no reason?
To make practical use of the map without opening the full graph every time, see Readings from the graph. This page is generated from graph data and shows centers of gravity, bridges between sections, and pages that need better editorial linking.
Limits of graphical representation
The map does not mean that every visible relationship is a deep intellectual one. Sometimes a link appears simply because one page mentioned another page. The map should therefore be read as a tool for exploration, not as proof. The proof remains in the text, in the locus of support, and in the source page.