Re: complementOf -> viewOf: proposed text: however... :-)

Graham

glad you agree, however meanwhile I spotted a problem in my own proposal that entities should form a lattice. It doesn't sit well 
with your axiom, because

alternateOf(a, b) and
alternateOf(c, d)

it follows that a,b,c,d are /all/ alternate of each other (because their def. is now based on specialization, and specialization is 
transitive, and there is a Top where they all meet).

But this is too much :-)

something has to give... let me sit on transitivity of alternate while I fix the rest of the text

-Paolo



On 1/12/12 6:32 PM, Graham Klyne wrote:
> Paolo,
>
> Summary:  I think we are in agreement.  I may need to re-check the text to make
> sure it doesn't still lead me to one of the misunderstandings from my earlier
> message.
>
> On 12/01/2012 10:06, Paolo Missier wrote:
>> Graham
>>
>> sorry for letting this slip. To recall, the context is that I am tasked with
>> fixing the alternateOf section of PROV-DM.
>>
>> I have a few comments to yours and Khalid's. Original text copied where needed.
>>
>> My main comment is that I like your axiomatization of the two relations, but it
>> seems to lead to properties that are not exactly what we want. But there is a
>> simple fix.
> :)
>
>> Specifically:
>>
>>> In other words, what I am suggesting is that:
>>> specializationOf(e1,e2) implies alternateOf(e1,e2)
>> that's fine, I have no problems with that.
>>
>>> *BUT*, this is not what the current text allows, since specializationOf is
>>> defined to be anti-symmetric, which means that it is also anti-reflexive:
>>>
>>> forall (a, b) : specializationOf(a,b) =>  not specializationOf(b,a)
>>>
>>> setting b = a we see that specializationOf(a,a) must be false, since its truth
>>> would give rise to a contradiction.
>> not really. Anti-symmetry is defined differently. I hate to quote wikipedia, as
>> I don't have the provenance of the content handy :-), but it's just convenient, so:
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisymmetric_relation
>>
>> basically, an anti-symmetric relation can be reflexive so that's not a problem.
> That would be good.  From memory, I wasn't going so much by a definition of
> "antisymmetry" but because I though the text was suggesting something like the
> implication above.  But if that's not intended, we can focus on making sure the
> text doesn't confuse.
>
>> More interestingly, about transitivity of alternateOf(): I believe we can still
>> save your axiomatization:
>>> alternativeOf(a, b) == exists (c) :
>>> specializationOf(a,c) and
>>> specializationOf(b,c)
>> just by insisting that the set of all entities forms a lattice. In fact, we only
>> need an upper semi-lattice.
> Yes, I think that's about where I'd got to, but I wasn't sure how to axiomatize
> that cleanly.
>
>> This does not ensure that
>>> specializationOf(x, y) or specializationOf(y, x)
>> but it does ensure that for each x,y, there is some z such that
>>
>> specializationOf(x, z) and specializationOf(y, z). alternateOf(a,c) follows.
>>
>> Having a top element is quite natural in class hierarchies (see owl:Thing). But
>> this should come as no surprise as all we are doing is re-invent class
>> hierarchies with a a top element.
>>
>> So in summary:
>> - I am fine with your axiomatization, plus the easy condition that entities form
>> an upper semi-lattice.
>> - I think it belongs in PROV-SEM
>> - I am inclined to keep the properties of the two relations as they are.
>>
>> (and yes, more specific may be better than more concrete).
>>
>> are we in agreement?
> On the basis of what you say here, yes.
>
> Thanks.
>
> #g
> --
>
>> On 1/6/12 4:44 PM, Graham Klyne wrote:
>>> Paolo,
>>>
>>> I've now looked at the text and am happy with the direction, but have some
>>> niggles with the details...
>>>
>>> First a nit: you say e1 and e2 provide a more *concrete* characterization than
>>> e1. I would say more *specific* rather than more *concrete*.
>>>
>>> For the rest, using Using Khalid's comments as a spingboard:
>>>
>>> On 05/01/2012 18:43, Khalid Belhajjame wrote:
>>>> Hi,
>>>>
>>>> The new Alternate and Specialization records seem to make sense to me.
>>>>
>>>> - Looking at the definitions of *specializationOf* and *alternateOf*, I for few
>>>> seconds was wondering if it is a good idea to define a more general relationship
>>>> that simply says that two entity records are representations of the same entity,
>>>> without specifying if there is difference in abstraction or context. But, I
>>>> changed my mind as a result, and I now think that the general relationship that
>>>> I was looking for is *alternateOf* itself. Indeed, such a relationship seems to
>>>> be usable in both cases, i.e., different abstractions and/or different contexts.
>>>> In other words, what I am suggesting is that:
>>>> specializationOf(e1,e2) implies alternateOf(e1,e2)
>>>>
>>>> Does that make sense?
>>>>
>>> I think this depends on how the definitions are set up.
>>>
>>> I see specializationOf as a primnitive using which alternativeOf can be defined:
>>>
>>> alternativeOf(a, b) == exists (c) :
>>> specializationOf(a,c) and
>>> specializationOf(b,c)
>>>
>>> My preference is for specializationOf to be reflexive; i.e.
>>>
>>> forall (a) : specializationOf(a, a)
>>>
>>> your result follows from this:
>>>
>>> given:
>>> specializationOf(e1,e2) [per premise]
>>> specializationOf(e2,e2) [per reflexivity]
>>>
>>> we set a=e1, b=e2, c=e2 to satisfy the RHS of alternativeOf definition, hence
>>> have alternativeOf(e1, e2) as you suggest.
>>>
>>>
>>> *BUT*, this is not what the current text allows, since specializationOf is
>>> defined to be anti-symmetric, which means that it is also anti-reflexive:
>>>
>>> forall (a, b) : specializationOf(a,b) =>  not specializationOf(b,a)
>>>
>>> setting b = a we see that specializationOf(a,a) must be false, since its truth
>>> would give rise to a contradiction.
>>>
>>> Which in turn means that the above proof of your suggested inference does not
>>> hold.
>>>
>>> ...
>>>
>>> So my question is this: is there any particular reason to require anti-symmetry
>>> of specializationOf?
>>>
>>> (An alternative would be to modify the definition of alternativeOf, thus:
>>>
>>> alternativeOf(a, b) == exists (c) :
>>> (specializationOf(a,c) or a = c) and
>>> (specializationOf(b,c) or b = c)
>>>
>>> Absent and particular reason to do otherwise, I'd rather go with the simpler
>>> definitions.)
>>>
>>>
>>>> - *alternateOf* is transitive.
>>> I think it should be, but let's see how this plays:
>>>
>>> alternativeOf(a, b) == exists (x) :
>>> specializationOf(a,x) and
>>> specializationOf(b,x)
>>>
>>> alternativeOf(b, c) == exists (y) :
>>> specializationOf(b,y) and
>>> specializationOf(c,y)
>>>
>>> If we can show specializationOf(x, y) or specializationOf(y, x) then the result
>>> can be derived using transitivity of specializationOf and the definition of
>>> alternativeOf.
>>>
>>> We have:
>>> specializationOf(b,x) and
>>> specializationOf(b,y)
>>>
>>> Intuitively a specializationOf relation holds between x and y as their is a
>>> single non-branching path from b to the "top" of the specialization tree. But I
>>> think we need more stated constraints to derive this.
>>>
>>> Right now, I'm not sure how best to capture this, and am thinking that simply
>>> asserting the required relation would be easiest; i.e.
>>>
>>> specializationOf(b,x) and
>>> specializationOf(b,y)
>>> |=
>>> specializationOf(x,y) or specializationOf(y,x)
>>>
>>> (If specialization is anti-reflexive, we need to add "or x = y" to the above
>>> constraint.)
>>>
>>> Or maybe:
>>>
>>> specializationOf(b,x) and
>>> specializationOf(b,y)
>>> |=
>>> exists (z) : specializationOf(x,z) and specializationOf(y,z)
>>>
>>> An alternative would be to not care about this, in which case alternativeOf is
>>> not inferrable from specializationOf. Does this actually matter?
>>>
>>> #g
>>> --
>>>
>>>> On 15/12/2011 15:25, Paolo Missier wrote:
>>>>> Hi,
>>>>>
>>>>> in response to the comments about complementarity on the wiki and on the list,
>>>>> we have prepared a revised version of the section,
>>>>> where "complementarity" disappears in favour of "viewOf", and the definition
>>>>> is hopefully simplified and more in line with the
>>>>> expectations:
>>>>> http://dvcs.w3.org/hg/prov/raw-file/default/model/ProvenanceModel.html#record-complement-of
>>>>>
>>>>> (the anchor name hasn't changed :-))
>>>>>
>>>>> this is for feedback as per today's agenda
>>>>>
>>>>> atb -Paolo
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>


-- 
-----------  ~oo~  --------------
Paolo Missier - Paolo.Missier@newcastle.ac.uk, pmissier@acm.org
School of Computing Science, Newcastle University,  UK
http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/people/Paolo.Missier

Received on Friday, 13 January 2012 12:45:16 UTC