a publication containing a variety of works
"The professor recommended reading her recent compendium, which brings together essays on history, literature, and philosophy into a single volume."
a concise but comprehensive summary of a larger work
"The professor recommended reading the new compendium to grasp the main arguments without slogging through the entire three-volume history."
A short, complete summary; an abstract.
"The professor asked each student to submit a compendium of their research findings before the final presentation."