
426 ◾ Software Metrics
e danger in attempting to nd measures to characterize a large col-
lection of dierent attributes is that oen the measures address conicting
goals, counter to the representational theory of measurement.
EXAMPLE 9.42
Suppose we dene a measure, M, that characterizes the quality of people. If
M existed, it would have to satisfy at least the following conditions:
M(A) > M(B) whenever A is stronger than B and
M(A) > M(B) whenever A is more intelligent than B
The fact that some highly intelligent people are very weak physically
ensures that no M can satisfy both these properties.
Example 9.42 illustrates clearly why single-va ...