Re: Semantics, in particular DAML+OIL semantics

On August 12, R.V.Guha writes:
> The problem, in this context, with relying solely on model theories,
> is that this does not give us a tool for providing a semantics for
> expressions that mix constructs from different languages. That is a
> rather severe limitation of relying solely on model theories.
> Axiomatic approaches on the other hand, by mapping everything into a
> common language, do enable us to provide a semantics for such "mixed
> expressions".

I don't really see why model theories do have this limitation. In
fact, you say:

> Fortunately, since the whole semantics game grounds out in 
> interpretations, I believe we can have a formal model of what it means 
> for these two approaches to say the same thing. 

The definition of valid interpretations is what a model theory is
about. So, please enlighten us why if languages are defined through
model theoretic semantics it is then impossible to define the
semantics of some combination of them.

cheers
-- e.

Enrico Franconi                     - franconi@inf.unibz.it
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano    - http://www.inf.unibz.it/~franconi/
Faculty of Computer Science         - Phone: (+39) 0471-315-642
I-39100 Bozen-Bolzano BZ, Italy     - Fax:   (+39) 0471-315-649

Received on Monday, 12 August 2002 13:54:29 UTC