tskit-dev / what-is-an-arg-paper

Manuscript and code for the "What is an ARG?" paper
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Overly technical passage on structures & models? #458

Closed hyanwong closed 4 months ago

hyanwong commented 4 months ago

All the recent changes are excellent. However, I find the following couple of sentences pretty hard to parse: I think it's the use of the word "orthogonal" and "provided in its estimate". Perhaps that's just me?

and it is therefore important to distinguish between approximate structures and approximate models. Whether an inference method is based on heuristics or a rigorous mathematical model is orthogonal to the level of detail provided in its estimate. The term “ARG” therefore has many different meanings, varying over time and depending on context.

I seem to remember this was inserted for Nick and co. I wonder if it could be rephrased in a slightly less jargon-y way? Even if it makes the phrasing a bit longer, I suspect it would make it easier for the average reader.