The local newsagent is sometimes surprising when, buried in the cheap remaindered books, a completely unexpected title appears. Today, it was a book titled From Tube Maps to Neural Networks: The theory of graphs by Claudi Alsina. I’d never heard of graph theory – though it’s not surprising that such a theory exists. Graph theory is about diagrams comprised of points and lines: “The basis of graph theory is in combinatorics, and the role of “graphics” is only in visualizing things.” Given its concern with the visual, graphing is significantly one aspect of visual culture and visual communication.

Graph also refers to ‘writing’ and this indicates an intimacy and fluidity in the relationship between writing and digramming. While not a revelation, this segues into my interest in Oulipo and its engagement with mathematics and rules. Recently, I noted my interest in adopting something of George Perec’s approach in Species of…