Introducing knowledge representation techniques in database models

Abstract

This paper deals with endowing object-oriented data models with taxonomic reasoning, i.e., an inference capability characteristic of the knowledge representation systems developed within the KL-ONE family. For this purpose, the main point is to introduce the concept of defined class, i.e., class whose structural description gives necessary and sufficient conditions for an object to belong to it. Object-oriented data models usually don't refer to this concept, because only necessary conditions are expressed by the type descriptions. We take into account a data model, developed in a database environment, and show how a uniform formal framework can be defined in order that this model fit taxonomic reasoning.

This research was partially supported by CNR in the framework of “Progetto Finalizzato Sistemi Informatici e Calcolo Parallelo” — Sottoprogetto 5: “Sistemi Evoluti per Basi di Dati Obiettivo Logidata+”