RE: [URW3 public] Re: [URW3] ... three questions based on the last telecon

I just wanted to add a few words of clarification to the lively discussion.

1. The URW3 ontology on our web site is in OWL (see
http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/urw3/wiki/UncertaintyOntology?action=Attach
File&do=get&target=Uncertainty.owl). As it is now, it is just OWL-DL.

2. The intent was to have an ontology to annotate use cases, and not to
develop a full ontology for reasoning about uncertainty. If we jump into the
details, we will loose our focus and will not accomplish our goal.

3. I suggest that we draw the separation line between the annotation of the
uncertainty of a sentence and what the sentence is about. Other communities
are working on the latter issue, so I suggest we just focus on the former. 

4. However, if we want to be at least a little more specific and try to
satisfy some of the concerns that Peter has raised, we could add one more
property to the ontology, e.g., "includesSentence" whose ___domain and range is
Sentence. In that way we could show that a particular sentence is a complex
sentence that includes other sentences as components, where those other
sentences can have their own uncertainty. If there is support for this, I
can make changes in the current URW3 OWL ontology.

In summary, although I agree that OWL has (lots of) limitations, I would
rather use a language that has formal semantics, rather than trying to
propose a new language at this point. This might turn out to be necessary in
the future, but for now I hope OWL is sufficient.

==Mitch


 

   > -----Original Message-----
   > From: public-xg-urw3-request@w3.org 
   > [mailto:public-xg-urw3-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Giorgos Stoilos
   > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 7:55 AM
   > To: 'Ivan Herman'
   > Cc: Peter.Vojtas@mff.cuni.cz; 'Ken Laskey'; 
   > public-xg-urw3@w3.org; mpool@convera.com
   > Subject: RE: [URW3 public] Re: [URW3] ... three questions 
   > based on the last telecon
   > 
   > 
   > 
   > 
   > > -----Original Message-----
   > > From: Ivan Herman [mailto:ivan@w3.org]
   > > Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 2:33 PM
   > > To: Giorgos Stoilos
   > > Cc: Peter.Vojtas@mff.cuni.cz; 'Ken Laskey'; 
   > public-xg-urw3@w3.org; 
   > > mpool@convera.com
   > > Subject: Re: [URW3 public] Re: [URW3] ... three 
   > questions based on the 
   > > last telecon
   > > 
   > > 
   > > 
   > > Giorgos Stoilos wrote:
   > > > Hi Peter,
   > > >
   > > > Triples syntax is very specific to the RDF standard 
   > and *not* to 
   > > > every
   > > W3C
   > > > standard. For example, triples syntax is not used in OWL (the 
   > > > standard describes a mapping to RDF graphs but a) it 
   > is very limited 
   > > > and cannot capture the OWL Semantics b) other syntaxes are 
   > > > preferred),
   > > 
   > > ??? why is the mapping limited?
   > > 
   > > Also: OWL is not equal to OWL-DL. OWL Full is fully 
   > described and 
   > > defined in terms of an extension of RDF semantics, and 
   > the there is a 
   > > very clear mapping between the OWL DL semantics and the 
   > corresponding 
   > > OWL Full semantics.
   > > 
   > > However: we indeed have to separate two things. There is 
   > a 'syntax', 
   > > essentially RDF/XML, which is nothing more than what it 
   > says: syntax.
   > > And there is the triple model. Indeed, in some cases 
   > other _syntaxes_ 
   > > are preferred. But that is a secondary issue in my view.
   > > 
   > 
   > Sorry, I only had OWL DL in mind. So triples syntax (and 
   > not the mapping) is limited in the sense that when mapping 
   > OWL DL to triples one would require to use roles and 
   > concepts in unusual places, like in the subject or object position.
   >  
   > > >                                                        
   >       while 
   > > > RIF
   > > will
   > > > not care about triples syntax at all.
   > > >
   > > 
   > > This _may_ become correct if you refer to the RDF/XML 
   > syntax. It is 
   > > not correct if you refer to the model of RDF triples.
   > 
   > Is there going to be a "RIF map to RDF graphs"?.
   > 
   > -gstoil
   > 
   > > 
   > > > I think you are mixing two issues here.
   > > > 1) The specification of an uncertainty ontology, which 
   > describes the 
   > > > concepts and their relations, i.e. the schema, i.e. 
   > the TBox. So I 
   > > > don't
   > > see
   > > > why we should add instances (ABox) in the ontology. At 
   > least in my 
   > > > understanding the Ontology is *not* meant to describe 
   > how to capture 
   > > > uncertainty in practice.
   > > > 2) How to extend ontology languages, like OWL, to add 
   > uncertainty. 
   > > > Then
   > > we
   > > > should take into account instances and thus the ABox 
   > and thus your
   > > example
   > > > below has a purpose.
   > > > So I don't understand how reification fits with the Uncertainty
   > > Ontology.
   > > >
   > > > Now, taken that triples are used in RDF (and not in 
   > OWL) I see your
   > > example
   > > > below as an effort to extend RDF as to capture 
   > uncertainty, or about 
   > > > serializing an Uncertainty-OWL extension to RDF 
   > triples, which I 
   > > > don't
   > > see
   > > > how is relevant.
   > > >
   > > > -gstoil
   > > >
   > > >> -----Original Message-----
   > > >> From: public-xg-urw3-request@w3.org [mailto:public-xg-urw3-
   > > request@w3.org]
   > > >> On Behalf Of Peter Vojtas
   > > >> Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 11:24 AM
   > > >> To: Ken Laskey
   > > >> Cc: public-xg-urw3@w3.org; mpool@convera.com
   > > >> Subject: [URW3 public] Re: [URW3] ... three questions 
   > based on the 
   > > >> last telecon
   > > >>
   > > >>
   > > >> Dear colleaguess (sent to public list and separately 
   > to KL and MP),
   > > >>
   > > >> as I have pointed in the ontology page in Top Level 
   > comments by P.
   > > >> Vojtas is there a mistake?, see
   > > >> 
   > http://www.w3.org/2005/Incubator/urw3/wiki/is_there_a_mistake%3F
   > > >>
   > > >> by W3C standards, basic information unit is a triple 
   > (subject, 
   > > >> predicate, object) which can be true or false in a 
   > structure (to 
   > > >> avoid discussion whether it is a sentence or 
   > proposition, w3c uses
   > > statement).
   > > >>
   > > >> see e.g. http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-primer/ for 
   > following example
   > > >>
   > > >> http://www.example.org/index.html has a creation-date 
   > whose value 
   > > >> is August 16, 1999
   > > >>
   > > >> here we can use reification for another writing asigning an 
   > > >> identifier to the statement
   > > >>
   > > >> ex:triple1	rdf:type	rdf:Statement
   > > >> ex:triple1	rdf:subject 	
   > http://www.example.org/index.html
   > > >> ex:triple1	rdf:predicate
   > > 	http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/creator
   > > >> ex:triple1	rdf:object 	
   > http://www.example.org/staffid/85740
   > > >> ex:triple1	ex:creator	
   > http://www.example.org/staffid/85741
   > > >>
   > > >> THIS CONSTRUCTION IS VERY USEFULL IN OUR CASE
   > > >>
   > > >> especialy in our ontology discussion the triple
   > > >>
   > > >> urw3:Sentence  	urw3:hasUncertainty  urw3:Uncertainty
   > > >>
   > > >> should be by my opinion rewritten as
   > > >>
   > > >> urw3:triple2	rdf:type	rdf:Statement
   > > >> urw3:triple2	rdf:subject 	urw3:Sentence
   > > >> urw3:triple2	rdf:predicate 	urw3:hasUncertainty
   > > >> urw3:triple2	rdf:object 	urw3:Uncertainty
   > > >> urw3:triple2	ex:creator	urw3:Mitch
   > > >>
   > > >> and instance ( consider also an "instance"  ex:triple1 
   > > >> urw3:hasUncertainty  urw3:0.9)
   > > >>
   > > >> as, e.g.
   > > >>
   > > >> urw3:triple3	rdf:type	rdf:Statement
   > > >> urw3:triple3	rdf:subject 	ex:triple1
   > > >> urw3:triple3	rdf:predicate 	urw3:hasUncertainty
   > > >> urw3:triple3	rdf:object 	urw3:0.9
   > > >> urw3:triple3	ex:creator	urw3:Peter
   > > >> urw3:triple3	urw3:tool	urw3:Bayes
   > > >>
   > > >> The example with the german sentence (Mathias can 
   > help) is very 
   > > >> usefull (words morgen and Morgen are problematic) 
   > because it shows 
   > > >> what can happen. MP assigns an uncertainty to his own 
   > translation 
   > > >> by expression "if I've translated correctly". 
   > Nevertheless, by my 
   > > >> opinion "Es regnet morgen" is a problematic sentence 
   > because "Es 
   > > >> regnet" is about present and "morgen" with lower case 
   > m in the 
   > > >> begining means tomorrow, it is an adverb. So a 
   > problem accurs, what 
   > > >> to do with a gramaticaly wrong sentence (note that the word 
   > > >> sentence I use here in the linguistical sense, which 
   > in the W3c 
   > > >> terminology can by defined appropriately by 
   > corresponding triples, 
   > > >> by defining predicates like subject, verb, object, 
   > mode (manner), 
   > > >> place and time). I would say either "Es regnet heute 
   > morgen" or "Es wird morgen regnen".
   > > >>
   > > >> Sorry for such a long mail, concluding I would like 
   > to say, please 
   > > >> let us use w3c terminology (arguing for necessity of 
   > an extensions 
   > > >> of standards we need be compatible with current 
   > standards). Next, 
   > > >> the
   > > above
   > > >> example shows we need to define our own prefix and 
   > rdf vocabulary 
   > > >> for uncertainty ontology.
   > > >>
   > > >> Greetings Peter
   > > >>
   > > >>
   > > >>
   > > >>>     *From:* Mike Pool
   > > >>>     *Sent:* Friday, July 13, 2007 3:25 PM
   > > >>>     *To:* public-xg-urw3-request@w3.org
   > > >>>     *Subject:* three questions based on the last telecon.
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     Hi, all:
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     We've been having some great discussions during 
   > the meetings 
   > > >>> and
   > > I'd
   > > >>>     like to pick up a few threads that came up in 
   > the last meeting.  I
   > > >>>     reread these as I was trying to write up the minutes:
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     1)
   > > >>>     Peter suggested that we use w3c standards as our 
   > guide for the
   > > >>>     meaning of 'proposition'.  Peter, do you know if 
   > this is defined
   > > >>>     somewhere by the w3C.  Could you point us to the 
   > definition?
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     2)
   > > >>>     I argued that propositions, in the sense of the 
   > meaning of a
   > > >>>     sentence that is invariant through all the 
   > paraphrases and
   > > >>>     translations of the sentence, rather than assertions or 
   > > >>> sentences
   > > as
   > > >>>     the kinds of things that hold probability values.
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     Kathy noted in the meeting that a problem with 
   > this definition is
   > > >>>     that a system might assign different uncertainty 
   > values to 2
   > > >>>     different logically equivalent sentences.   I 
   > can imagine that
   > > this
   > > >>>     is possible, but where it occurs I would think 
   > it nothing more
   > > than
   > > >>>     a weakness in the system, not in the definition 
   > I've suggested.
   > > For
   > > >>>     example, I might misunderstand 'Es regnet 
   > morgen' as 'it will rain
   > > >>>     this morning' rather than 'it will rain 
   > tomorrow' (if I've
   > > >>>     translated correctly) and assign it a different 
   > probability value
   > > >>>     than that which I'm assigning to 'it will rain 
   > tomorrow'.  But I
   > > >>>     think that anyone who observed my doing this 
   > would point out that
   > > >>>     it's a contradiction, i.e., that since these 
   > things have the same
   > > >>>     meaning, I'm obligated to assign them the same 
   > probability value.
   > > >>>      In other words, it is in virtue of their 
   > representing the same
   > > >>>     proposition that I'm obligated to assign them 
   > the same probability
   > > >>>     value.    So, I think this only helps to 
   > underscore the fact that
   > > >>>     when we explore our intuitions, we believe that 
   > propositions 
   > > >>> are
   > > the
   > > >>>     real p.v. holders.
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     3)
   > > >>>     Anne, you said at one point that "not all beliefs can
   > > appropriately
   > > >>>     be represented as numerical values" and that it 
   > "glosses over
   > > >>>     inconsistencies - beliefs may be logically 
   > incompatible".  I was
   > > >>>     intrigued by the suggestion, can you say more?
   > > >>>
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     Again, thanks all for a stimulating telecon on Wednesday.
   > > Apologies
   > > >>>     in advance if this address is not the right 
   > forum for these
   > > >>>     discussions.
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     Best regards,
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     Mike Pool
   > > >>>
   > > >>>     --------------------------------
   > > >>>
   > > >>>
   > > >>>
   > > >>> 
   > ------------------------------------------------------------------
   > > >>> ----
   > > --
   > > >> -----
   > > >>> Ken Laskey
   > > >>> MITRE Corporation, M/S H305 phone: 703-983-7934
   > > >>> 7151 Colshire Drive fax: 703-983-1379 McLean VA 22102-7508
   > > >>>
   > > >
   > > >
   > > >
   > > 
   > > --
   > > 
   > > Ivan Herman, W3C Semantic Web Activity Lead
   > > URL: http://www.w3.org/People/Ivan/
   > > PGP Key: http://www.cwi.nl/%7Eivan/AboutMe/pgpkey.html
   > > FOAF: http://www.ivan-herman.net/foaf.rdf
   > 
   > 
   > 

Received on Monday, 16 July 2007 12:56:08 UTC