Bibliography on dlml (2017-06-06)

Different knowledge representation languages can be used for different semantic web applications. Exchanging knowledge thus requires specific techniques established on a semantic ground. We present the `family of languages' approach based on a set of knowledge representation languages whose partial ordering depends on the transformability from one language to another by preserving a particular property. For the same set of languages, there can be several such structures based on the property selected for structuring the family. Properties of different strength allow performing practicable but well founded transformations. The approach offers the choice of the language in which a representation will be imported and the composition of available transformations between the members of the family.

Documents accessible from the web or from any document base constitute a significant source of knowledge as soon as the document contents can be represented in an appropriate form. This paper presents the ESCRIRE project, whose objective is to compare three knowledge representation (KR) formalisms, namely conceptual graphs, description logics and objects, for representing and manipulating document contents. The comparison relies on the definition of a pivot language based on XML, allowing the design of a domain ontology, document annotations and queries. Each element has a corresponding translation in each KR formalism, that is used for inferencing and answering queries. In this paper, the principles on which relies the ESCRIRE project and the first results from this original experiment are described. An analysis of problems encountered, advantages and drawbacks of each formalism are studied with the emphasis put on the ontology-based annotations of document contents and on the query answering capabilities.

Exchanging knowledge via the web might lead to the use of different representation languages because different applications could take advantage of this knowledge. In order to function properly, the interoperability of these languages must be established on a semantic ground (i.e., based on the models of the representations). Several solutions can be used for ensuring this interoperability. We present a new approach based on a set of knowledge representation languages partially ordered with regard to the transformability from one language to another by preserving a particular property. The advantages of the family of languages approach are the opportunity to choose the language in which a representation will be imported and the possibility to compose the transformations available between the members of the family. For the same set of languages, there can be several structures depending on the property used for structuring the family. We focus here on semantic properties of different strength that allow us to perform practicable but well founded transformations.

Description logics have been designed and studied in a modular way. This has allowed a methodic approach to complexity evaluation. We present a way to preserve this modularity in encoding description logics in XML and show how it can be used for building modular transformations and assembling them easily.

Because different applications and different communities require different features, the semantic web might have to face the heterogeneity of the languages for expressing knowledge. Yet, it will be necessary for many applications to use knowledge coming from different sources. In such a context, ensuring the correct understanding of imported knowledge on a semantic ground is very important. We present here an infrastructure based on the notions of transformations from one language to another and of properties satisfied by transformations. We show, in the particular context of semantic properties and description logics markup language, how it is possible (1) to define properties of transformations, (2) to express, in a form easily processed by machine, the proof of a property and (3) to construct by composition a proof of properties satisfied by compound transformations. All these functions are based on extensions of current web standard languages.

The problem of integrating different ontology languages has become of special interest recently, especially in the context of semantic web applications. In the paper, we present an approach that is based on the configuration of a joint language all other languages can be translated into. We use description logics as a basis for constructing this common language taking advantage of the modular character and the availability of profound theoretical results in this area. We give the central definitions and exemplify the approach using example ontologies available on the Web.