"metaphors : understanding :: equivalent code : program that
   runs." valence is a primarily either a chemistry term post 17th
   century. It's also a linguistics term. [it was borrowed from
   chemistry and brought into mathematics later on], although I'm
   not using it in the linguistics context.

   valence: late Middle English: from late Latin valentia *power,
   competence,* from valere *be well or strong.*

   Equal power. (equi is word-forming element meaning "equal," from
   Latin aequi-, comb. form of aequus "equal, even" (see equal
   (adj.)).)

   In Chemistry, equivalent, equal valence means the same number of
   moles of mass or electrons or ions coming from different
   substances.

   I'm giving an abstract comparison the power of the same 'gist'
   coming from two different sources, similar as (equivalent to) to
   how it is used in chemistry. The rest of the substance doesn't
   matter, so long as there is *something* in common.

   Two things in a metaphor are not precisely the same - they're
   not *equal*, but they are equivalent in _some context_.

   2x is not necessarily equal to 2y but they are equivalent terms
   when taken outside of the context of a working formula. I could
   just as easily choose 2x or 2y when I start to put together an
   equation because the "2"s are equivalent to each other, but in
   this case, a 2 does not necessarily = 2 because of what it is
   combined with, and a x is equivalent to the y, because the
   letters are truly agnostic at first, yet they can't be said to
   be equal.

   Equal power within a particular context.

   Having done a lot of programming in different languages, numbers
   or letters or variables or constants, the naming is all
   equivalent to one another and many times, "what's the box"
   doesn't matter 'til you open it, nor does it matter what you
   call something, so long as it works.

   Other programmers may mock your style, but, as metaphors :
   understanding :: equivalent code : program that runs.

   I understand what you're saying, [1]Tony Draper - but metaphors
   are amazingly powerful in that way. They provide equivalence
   while the NOT BEING EQUAL IN EVERY WAY manages to remain
   intact.,

   The concept I'm presenting is relatively novel, although likely
   not entirely new, so for you to say, "You're nuts" at this point
   is socially appropriate, if incorrect.

   [ps - you are nuts is a metaphor, seeming to have little to do
   with the food item, yet somehow... it does. Numbers provide a
   much better set of metaphors to work with, as they have greater
   equivalence than words generally do, although some word
   metaphors are analogies or even synonyms]

   "In no possible way can I say "metaphor means equivalent"? I
   just did. Several equivalent ways tongue emoticon

References

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   1. https://www.facebook.com/tony.draper.3745?hc_location=ufi