SEM DESIDERATA: my initial desiderata list

		Potential Desiderata for the Web Ontology Language

NB:  These are not all my desiderata.

Syntax:

1/ Syntax is (equivalent to) n-triples (i.e., RDF syntax).
   All syntax (except, maybe, datatypes) is carried in triples.
   Triple elements are URIs or literals (object only) or blank ids.

Semantics:

1/ There is a model-theoretic semantics, compatible with the RDF(S)
   model-theoretic semantics.
   All triples are assertions.
   All URIs denote elements of the domain of discourse.
   All classes are elements of the domain of discourse.
   All properties are elements of the domain of discourse.
   rdf:type is the instance relationship, and a property.
   All classes (including restrictions) belong to rdfs:Class.

2/ Inference is standard entailment in the model theory.
   There is no special treatment of either side of the entailment.

Classes:

1/ A way to create / query complex properties is via a defined class, e.g.,
   the intersection of a and b, the union of a and b, objects who have at
   least one child.


I'm willing to keep this list up to date and to incorporate other
desiderata into the list.

Peter F. Patel-Schneider
Bell Labs Research

Received on Thursday, 14 March 2002 17:40:01 UTC