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Could someone please help clear up some confusion I have about paths ?

I was looking through the 1st chapter I/O settings in the Digidesign 110 official courseware ( 3rd edition ) and at the top of p.13 the little lightbulb / tip icon says

"To optimize mixer and DSP resources, it's best to create mono sub-paths for outputs and busses, rather than to create mono main paths."

Here's where I'm confused ( or more likely just an idiot...too much thc )

On p.11 digidesigns definitions are

MAIN PATHS : are logical groupings of inputs, inserts, busses, or outputs. For example, Main Out is often the name of a master stereo output. Sometimes appended with "L/R" for left/right, this is an example of a signal path named by its content ( the main stereo mix )

SUB PATHS : represents a signal path within a main path. For example, a default stereo output path consists of two mono sub-paths, left and right. Mono track outputs and sends can be routed to either mono sub-path.

OK. I understand the definitions of main and sub paths but that tip up top confuses me. I thought a main path was the STEREO group and the paths within that path are called sub paths. So how could I or why would create mono main paths ? I thought all mono paths are SUB-PATHS and I thought all stereo paths are MAIN PATHS ! I didn't know a mono path could be a main path. Would that be the equivalent of when you create mono busses by deleting a stereo bus and creating new individual mono busses ? Thank you .