Article

A Formal Ontology of Properties

Authors:

Nicola Guarino,

Christopher A. WeltyAuthors Info & Claims

EKAW '00: Proceedings of the 12th European Workshop on Knowledge Acquisition, Modeling and Management

Pages 97 - 112

Published: 02 October 2000 Publication History

Abstract

A common problem of ontologies is that their taxonomic structure is often poor and confusing. This is typically exemplified by the unrestrained use of subsumption to accomplish a variety of tasks. In this paper we show how a formal ontology of unary properties can help using the subsumption relation in a disciplined way. This formal ontology is based on some meta-properties built around the fundamental philosophical notions of identity, unity, essence, and dependence. These meta-properties impose some constraints on the subsumption relation that clarify many misconceptions about taxonomies, facilitating their understanding, comparison and integration.

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cover image Guide Proceedings

EKAW '00: Proceedings of the 12th European Workshop on Knowledge Acquisition, Modeling and Management

October 2000

456 pages

ISBN:3540411194

Publisher

Springer-Verlag

Berlin, Heidelberg

Publication History

Published: 02 October 2000

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