On May 2, 2008, at 10:40 AM, Ed Barkmeyer wrote:
> ...
> I have yet to see a definition of "ontology" that everyone who
> thinks s/he is developing one, or tools for one, agrees with. If we
> take the loose definition: "a set of terms and definitions using a
> machine-interpretable language with a formally defined semantics" or
> the even looser definition: "any formal structure of terms and
> definitions", one can argue that any OWL model is an "ontology"
> because it is a representation of a set of related terms using "a
> machine-interpretable language with a formally defined semantics".
>
> My personal preference is a much stronger definition: (01)
I'm not sure it's stronger. (02)
> A formal language that provides a means of definition of a term
> using a syntax with a well-defined semantics that supports
> (automated) reasoning is an "ontology language". (03)
Ok, let's say KIF, which is supported by the Schulz/Halcomb Tau
reasoner. (04)
> A model... (05)
I assume you really mean a set of sentences, and not a model in the
model theoretic sense. (06)
> ...captured in that language is an "ontology" if and only if most of
> the terms it introduces are defined in the model using the
> definition mechanisms of the formal language (possibly including
> references to terms that are formally defined elsewhere). (07)
Ok, let's suppose our specific KIF language has the predicates P and
Q. I define them thus: (08)
(forall (x y) (iff (P x y) (= x y))) (09)
(forall (x y) (iff (Q x y) (not (P x y)))) (010)
By your definition, this is an ontology. (Call it the "Identity and
Difference (I&D)" ontology. :-) Maybe that's ok with you -- it's
certainly ok with me. But I got the impression you had something more
discriminating in mind. (011)
-chris (012)
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