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Formalising Ontologies and Their Relations

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Database and Expert Systems Applications (DEXA 1999)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 1677))

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Abstract

Ontologies allow the abstract conceptualisation of domains, but a given domain can be conceptualised through many different ontologies, which can be problematic when ontologies are used to support knowledge sharing. We present a formal account of ontologies that is intended to support knowledge sharing through precise characterisations of relationships such as compatibility and refinement. We take an algebraic approach, in which ontologies are presented as logical theories. This allows us to characterise relations between ontologies as relations between their classes of models. A major result is cocompleteness of specifications, which supports merging of ontologies across shared sub-ontologies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, PO Box 147, Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK

    Trevor Bench-Capon & Grant Malcolm

Authors
  1. Trevor Bench-Capon
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  2. Grant Malcolm
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool, P.O. Box 147, Liverpool, L49 3BX, UK

    Trevor J.M. Bench-Capon

  2. Department of Systems and Computers, University of Florence, Via S. Marta, 3, I-50139, Florence, Italy

    Giovanni Soda

  3. IFS, Technical University of Vienna, Resselgasse 3, A-1040, Vienna, Austria

    A Min Tjoa

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© 1999 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Bench-Capon, T., Malcolm, G. (1999). Formalising Ontologies and Their Relations. In: Bench-Capon, T.J., Soda, G., Tjoa, A.M. (eds) Database and Expert Systems Applications. DEXA 1999. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 1677. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48309-8_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-48309-8_23

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-66448-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-48309-0

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