[ontolog-forum] Requesting Opinions on the Benefits of Predicates as Nod

[Frank Guerino <Frank.Guerino@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi All,

For a number of years, we've been working with Data Driven Synthesis as a means of rapidly generating Data Networks/Graphs and the Knowledge Constructs (e.g. Library Catalogs, Indexes, Taxonomies, Visualizations, etc.) that help humans make easier & better sense of them  (If interested, see NOUNZ).  Like many other Graph representations, we use "triples" or "triplets" to help represent Semantic Relationships, where descriptive Predicates are used as the binding between Subject Nodes and Object Nodes.

To date, we've only treated Subjects and Objects as "Nodes" but we've always known that we can (and have planned to) implement and treat Predicates as a special type of "implicit" Node, as well.  (Time didn’t' allow us to get to doing so, until now.)  We believe that doing so grants users of Graphs certain benefits.  We've identified three (3)…

#1: The first and obvious advantage is that users can now enter a Graph from any Edge/Predicate as easily as they can enter from any Node, and start to traverse the Graph based on that point of entry.

#2: The second advantage of treating Predicates as Nodes is that a Predicate can now be used as an "Index" or "Pointer" that allows users to quickly find all Nodes which are tied to said Predicate (or any Predicates that match certain traits).  In other words, it's a way of asking the Graph to quickly identify all Nodes that are connected to a specific Edge/Link/Predicate (or any of a common set of Predicate traits).  This means that, in addition to being able to ask "Node-oriented" questions of the Graph, you can now also ask "Predicate/Edge-oriented" questions of the Graph, as well.  This leads to even more complex scenarios of being able to ask questions of, both, Nodes and Edges.

#3: The third advantage (based on the second) is that traversal of a Graph can be even quicker, leading to even shorter paths, because instead of only traversing a Graph from Node-to-Node-to-Node, through Nodes, users can now traverse from any Edge/Predicate to any other Edge/Predicate, through Edges/Predicates.

My question to the Community:  Aside from the above three, do you see any other benefits that we're missing?

Thanks for your help.

My Best,

Frank

--
Frank Guerino, Chairman
The International Foundation for Information Technology (IF4IT)
http://www.if4it.com
1.908.294.5191 (M)

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