SDW BP Glossary Issue 194: Open World Assumption (OWA)

1. Open World Assumption (OWA)

The entry is:
"Open-world assumption (OWA): In a formal system of logic used for knowledge representation, the open-world assumption asserts that the truth value of a statement may be true irrespective of whether or not it is known to be true. This assumption codifies the informal notion that in general no single agent or observer has complete knowledge. In essence, from the absence of a statement alone, a deductive reasoner cannot (and must not) infer that the statement is false. Wikipedia"

I cannot find another online definition that seems persistent (university lecturers' slides are not persistent enough!)

I propose we leave the Wikipedia reference. 

I suggest adding an amplifying sentence for simple people like me: 

"That is, a valid response to a logical query may be: true, false or unknown."

Chris Little
Co-Chair, OGC Meteorology & Oceanography Domain Working Group

IT Fellow - Operational Infrastructures
Met Office  FitzRoy Road  Exeter  Devon  EX1 3PB  United Kingdom
Tel: +44(0)1392 886278  Fax: +44(0)1392 885681  Mobile: +44(0)7753 880514
E-mail: chris.little@metoffice.gov.uk  http://www.metoffice.gov.uk


I am normally at work Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday each week

Received on Thursday, 4 May 2017 13:47:33 UTC