1

I would like to know which of the following sentences are correct, and why?

  1. Our model places uniform weights on all edges in a graph.
  2. Our model places uniform weights on each edge in a graph.
  3. Our model places uniform weight on each edge in a graph.
KillingTime
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Elina
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  • Have you looked up the word? It can be countable and uncountable. I doubt yours is countable. Do you have a physical model with weights on it? I guess not... – Lambie Mar 27 '24 at 14:57
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    You are using the wrong word. Either Our model weights all edges equally in a graph or Our model places equal weighting factors on all edges in a graph. Uniform is wrong, and weights is very informal as a noun here. – Phil Sweet Mar 27 '24 at 21:33
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    Our model weights each edge in a graph equally. – Tinfoil Hat Mar 27 '24 at 22:21

2 Answers2

2

I believe numbers 1 and 3 are correct but even number 2 gets the point across. It is either weights, plural for all, many, or weight, singular for each, individual.

Elliot
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2

(2) is best avoided. Consider

  • (2') The same books were read by each student.

This surely defaults to each student reading books A, B, and C say: more than one book per student. While this is impossible for weighted edges (a 1 to 1 relation), (2) is at best clumsy.

In line with

  • (1'') All lines are of equal length. being vastly more commonly chosen than
  • (1') All lines are of equal lengths.

[Google ngrams; there is correspondingly a flatline for "are of equal weights" ] I'd also avoid (1).

That leaves (3).

The distributive singular is commonly available:

The distributive singular may also be used to focus on individual instances. We therefore often have a number choice.

  • Some children have understanding fathers / an understanding father.

  • We all have good appetites / a good appetite.

[[Quirk et al; CoGEL; @Shoe's answer here]

with an apparent number mismatch (some children ... have ... a father).

So

  • (4) Our model places [a] uniform weight on all edges in a graph.

are also acceptable, even if 'weight' is seen as a singular count rather than non-count usage here.

So, to summarise, I'd use 'weight' rather than 'weights', but feel free to choose between 'on each edge' and 'on all edges'.

Edwin Ashworth
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