[ontolog-forum] Granularity of Representation (was Re: Role of definitio

[Charles D Turnitsa <CTurnits@xxxxxxx>]

A river that floods, and then expands for millions of acres past it's original banks - is it still a river?  When a river dries up, and becomes a wadi - is it still a river?

Rather than probability, it seems that it would be better to either choose an agreed to perspective, or if all possible views are necessary to increase your granularity of investigation (and ontological representation) to accommodate all of the possibilities that your perspective mandates.  An ontology that included the possibilities I listed above (a dry river bed, or wadi; a river; a flooded river occupying a whole floodplain) would include several entities, as well attribution that accurately described each.  The relationships between them could be captured by semantic links to processes that engendered the change (rainy season changes a dry river bed to a river; it may also turn a river to a flooded floodplain).

Charles Turnitsa
Project Scientist
Virginia Modeling, Analysis & Simulation Center
Old Dominion University Research Foundation
(757) 638-6315 (voice)
cturnits@xxxxxxx

-----ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote: -----

>To: "[ontolog-forum] " , Duane
>Nickull <dnickull@xxxxxxxxx>
>From: Kathryn Blackmond Laskey <klaskey@xxxxxxx>
>Sent by: ontolog-forum-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Date: 14/02/2007 06:48PM
>cc: "[ontolog-forum]" <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Re: [ontolog-forum] Role of definitions (Remember the poor
>human)
>
>>...
>>As a matter of fact, a river IS always a river:
>>this is a necessary truth.
>
>Except when it's a stream, or a brook, or a rivulet.
>
>There is flowing water (well, today it may be frozen; last week, it 
>was flowing) that passes under a bridge I drive over on the way from 
>my home to GMU.  Whether that something is a river or a stream or a 
>creek, is open to endless debate.  I agree that it is what it is, but
>
>is it always a river?  Always not a river?  I don't think that 
>question has a definite answer.
>
>Kathy
>
> 
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