Knowledge representation is a central issue for Artificial Intelligence and the Semantic Web. In particular, the problem of representing n-ary relations in RDF-based languages such as RDFS or OWL by no means is an obvious one. With respect to previous attempts, we show why the solutions proposed by the well known W3C Working Group Note on n-ary relations are not satisfactory on several scores. We then present our abstract model for representing n-ary relations as directed labeled graphs, and we show how this model gives rise to a new ontological pattern (parametric pattern) for the representation of such relations in the Semantic Web. To this end, we define PROL (Parametric Relational Ontology Language). PROL is an ontological language designed to express any n-ary fact as a parametric pattern, which turns out to be a special RDF graph. The vocabulary of PROL is defined by a simple RDFS ontology. We argue that the parametric pattern may be particularly beneficial in the context of the Semantic Web, in virtue of its high expressive power, technical simplicity, and faithful meaning rendition. Examples are also provided.
About this SeriesStudies in Applied Philosophy, Epistemology and Rational Ethics (SAPERE) publishes new developments and advances in all the fields of philosophy, epistemology, and ethics, bringing them together with a cluster of scientific disciplines and technological outcomes: from computer science to life sciences, from economics, law, and education to engineering, logic, and mathematics, from medicine to physics, human sciences, and politics. It aims at covering all the challenging philosophical and ethical themes of contemporary society, making them appropriately applicable to contemporary theoretical, methodological, and practical problems, impasses, controversies, and conflicts. The series includes monographs, lecture notes, selected contributions from specialized conferences and workshops as well as selected Ph.D. theses.
Abstract:In quantum gravity interpretations, the role of space-and time-related concepts is debated. Some argue that these concepts are not needed to describe physical reality at the Planck scale. Others object that an operational definition of magnitudes cannot get rid of spatiotemporal notions. We propose a "conceptual test" to assess if the mathematical content of a quantum gravity theory refers to some possibly verifiable empirical model. Given that any physical model describes the evolution of a set of measurables, these must be detectable in any empirical interpretation of a physical theory, including quantum gravity ones. Our test ultimately relies on considerations and studies concerning human cognitive limits in the discrimination of magnitudes.
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