Re: PROV-ISSUE-6 (define-location): Definition for Concept 'Location' [Provenance Terminology]

Martin -

A shorter version as defined in ISO 19112 and used by the OGC (since this was a jointly developed definition) is:

Location: Identifiable geographic place [ISO 19112]. Typically a location is a physically fixed point, typically on the surface of the Earth, though locations can be relative to other, non-earth centric coordinate reference systems. 

I also noticed that the the European INSPIRE community working on cultural heritage sites are using CIDOC/21127 as well as additional OGC references, such as the URN syntax for spatial reference systems.

Suffice to say, the definition for location in 21127 is a community elaboration of the more general OGC/ISO definition. We may need some such additional clarification for the provenance work - such as dealing with data provenance for articles, maps, charts, etc for the moon, Mars, and so forth.

Regards

Carl

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "martin" <martin@ics.forth.gr>
To: <public-prov-wg@w3.org>
Sent: Monday, May 23, 2011 2:09 PM
Subject: Re: PROV-ISSUE-6 (define-location): Definition for Concept 'Location' [Provenance Terminology]


On 5/20/2011 10:06 AM, Provenance Working Group Issue Tracker wrote:
>
> PROV-ISSUE-6 (define-location): Definition for Concept 'Location' [Provenance Terminology]
>
> http://www.w3.org/2011/prov/track/issues/6
>
> Raised by: Luc Moreau
> On product: Provenance Terminology
>
> The Provenance WG charter identifies the concept 'Location' as a core concept of the provenance interchange language to be standardized (see http://www.w3.org/2011/01/prov-wg-charter).
>
> What term do we adopt for the concept 'Location'?
> How do we define the concept 'Location'?
> Where does concept 'Location' appear in ProvenanceExample?
> Which provenance query requires the concept 'Location'?
>
> Wiki page: http://www.w3.org/2011/prov/wiki/ConceptLocation
>
ISO21127 defines as location:

E53 Place

"This class comprises extents in space, in particular on the surface of the earth, in the pure sense of physics: independent from temporal 
phenomena and matter.

The instances of E53 Place are usually determined by reference to the position of “immobile” objects such as buildings, cities, mountains, 
rivers, or dedicated geodetic marks. A Place can be determined by combining a frame of reference and a location with respect to this frame. 
It may be identified by one or more instances of E44 Place Appellation.

  It is sometimes argued that instances of E53 Place are best identified by global coordinates or absolute reference systems. However, 
relative references are often more relevant in the context of cultural documentation and tend to be more precise. In particular, we are 
often interested in position in relation to large, mobile objects, such as ships. For example, the Place at which Nelson died is known with 
reference to a large mobile object – H.M.S Victory. A resolution of this Place in terms of absolute coordinates would require knowledge of 
the movements of the vessel and the precise time of death, either of which may be revised, and the result would lack historical and cultural 
relevance.

Any object can serve as a frame of reference for E53 Place determination. The model foresees the notion of a "section" of an E19 Physical 
Object as a valid E53 Place determination."

The notion of "section" appears as "segment", or "portion" in other sources. This definition was inspired by OPENGIS. I suggest either to 
adopt a shorter version of the above, or refer to an OGC definition, which is probably the most competent resource.

Martin




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