Pubwan virtual objects (PVO's) are a mathematical modeling tool. They occupy virtual space. For our purposes here, this will be ordinary euclidean three dimensional space. For modeling purposes, we assign a priori assumptions to spatial relationships between pubwan objects. We assume that in meatspace we find proximity between certain items to be convenient. If we pursue a hobby in sewing, for example, we might like to have our sewing supplies and equipment all in the same general location. So it is with pubwan virtual objects.
There are many mathematical models we would like to implement using pubwan data. Many of these are inspired by curiosity about microeconomic phenomena. Simple PVO's (SPVO's) typically represent economic goods.
In meatspace, some classes of goods are associated mentally (and of course spatially) with each other. This is typically for straightforward commonsense reasons. Such pairings are referred to in economics as "complementary goods," because they complement each other. In a spatial modeling algorithm, PVO's representing complementary goods would be programmed to "attract" each other. Likewise "substitute goods" would be modeled as repelling each other. This would apply to goods for use. In the case of goods for sale, substitute goods would logically be modeled as attracting each other. First, this result is approximated in meatspace. Also, a physical or virtual marketspace would be more competitive and transparent if substitutable (and therefore competing) goods are located together for convenient comparison. One of the main motives for creating pubwan is the desire to compare goods systematically to a degree made impossible by the usual spatial arrangements of goods found in meatspace
Within the category "goods for use" are the categories "goods for capital use" and "goods for consumer use." It is the belief of the present author that this distinction is arbitrary and "artificial;" nevertheless it is considered very important by account ants and the IRS. It is important to account ants because they answer to investor types who want to know how hard their investments are working. It is important to the IRS because everyone wants to deduct from "taxable income," so expenses have to be pigeonholed as "relevant to income producing" or "not relevant to income producing." Since pubwan models are virtual not real we propose building models that account for the consumer/capital dichotomy, as well as models that do not. Comparison between these two types of models may prove instructive. A rough outline of how this dichotomy might be modeled is given in my halfbakery rant city that never sleeps. The CTNS model includes virtual humyns as a class of PVO's. Analogous to classification of goods as "consumable" or "capital" is classification of virtual persons as "at work" or "at play."
Within the category "goods for sale" are the categories "goods for wholesale" and "goods for retail sale." The spatial arrangement of goods in a store may well differ from that found in a werehouse.