- From: Fred Zemke <fred.zemke@oracle.com>
- Date: Tue, 06 Jun 2006 18:45:53 +0000
- To: public-rdf-dawg@w3.org
2.5.1 General framework This section is difficult to read. All we are defining in the current edition of SPARQL is with simple entailment, so why bother to lay out a more general framework at all? The only practical consequence from this section seems to be that there is a scoping set which is the set of RDF terms in the dataset. If we must have a general framework, perhaps we can dispense with defining entailment, contenting ourselves with referencing [RDF-MT] for a discussion of entailment in general. 2.5 Basic graph patterns The definition of E-entailment regime, taken literally, says that any subset of P(RDFG) x P(RDFG) is an entailment regime, where P(RDFG) is the power set of RDFG, the set of all RDF graphs. In contrast, reference [RDF-MT] "RDF Semantics" never actually defines entailment, but I see two consequences from the discussion there: a) Entailment is a relation from a set of graphs to a single graph, not to a set of graphs. Thus we want a subset of P(RDFG) x RDFG. It seems the text also has this in mind, since the definition of "well-formed" contemplates that the range of E (ie, the projection of E on its second component) is not a set of sets of graphs but a set of graphs. b) Entailment involves the notion of correct inferencing: given a set of graphs S, they entail graph G if all interpretations of S are interpretations of G. Thus it is not true that just any subset of P(RDFG) x RDFG constitutes an entailment. 2.5 Basic graph patterns The definition of "well-formed for simple entailment" is difficult to apply. It seems that all RDF graphs are well-formed for simple entailment. For example, every graph G is entailed by the singleton set { G }. Therefore every RDF graph is in the range of simple entailment. Therefore every RDF graph is well-formed. So what is the point to this concept? Looking ahead, it seems that the reason for introducing "well-formed" is for the third bullet in the definition of "basic graph pattern e-matching". However, the fourth bullet of that definition already implies the third bullet. That is, if G E-entails (G' union S(BGP')), then G' union S(BGP') must be in the range of the entailment E, and so must be well-formed. Hence it seems that we can dispense with the notion of well-formed, since the only use of it is superfluous. 2.5.1 General framework After the definition of scoping set, it says "The scoping set may be characterized differently by different entailment regimes". I don't know what "characterized" means here. Does it mean that the entailment implies the scoping set? So that simple entailment uses one scoping set and RDF-entailment uses another scoping set? If in fact the scoping set is not an independent parameter, then the scoping set should be mentioned in the definition of "E-entailment regime". 2.5.1 General framework Definition of scoping graph says that "*the* scoping graph ... is *an* RDF graph". This does not make sense. One cannot use "the" to refer to something that is not pinned down uniquely. There is not one graph that is uniquely graph-equivalent to G. What we mean is "A scoping graph... is an RDF graph...". After making this correction, the definition of scoping graph does not imply the sentence immediately following the definition, "The [sic, should be "a"] scoping graph makes the graph to be matched independent of the chosen blank node names". For example, G is graph-equivalent to G, trivially, therefore G is a scoping graph for itself. But if G has a problem with blank node names, then the scoping graph G also does, so we cannot conclude that the scoping graph automatically solves this problem. The best that can be said that a suitably chosen scoping graph will make the graph to be matched independent of the chosen blank node names. Looking ahead to the use of the notion, it is currently treated as a parameter in the definition of "basic graph pattern E-matching". However, I doubt that one has a specific scoping graph in mind when one does a basic graph pattern E-match. That is, treating "basic graph pattern E-match" as a boolean-valued function, you don't want the scoping graph as one of the arguments to this function. Proposed resolution: Delete the definition of "scoping graph", and in the definition of "basic graph pattern E-matching", delete the phrase "with scoping graph G'", replacing it with a new bullet reading "there exists a graph G' that is graph-equivalent to G". 2.5.1 General framework The pattern solution S is not being treated with the same respect shown to the other parameters in the definition of "basic graph pattern e-matching". It should be listed as one of the "givens" at the start of the sentence. 2.5.1 General framework In the definition of "Basic graph pattern E-matching", regarding the first bullet: a) it would be clearer if it were reworded "There exists BGP' such that BGP' is a basic graph pattern ...". b) The notion of graph-equivalent is not defined for basic graph patterns, only for graphs. Rather, the defined term is just "equivalent". All together, the first bullet should read "There exists BGP' such that BGP' is a basic graph pattern that is equivalent to BGP" 2.5.1 General framework Summary of my proposed rewrite to the definition of "Basic graph pattern E-matching": Given: - an entailment regime E, - a basic graph pattern BGP, - an RDF graph G, - a pattern solution S, and - a scoping set B then BGP E-matches with pattern solution S on graph G with respect to B if: - There exists a basic graph pattern BGP' and a graph G' such that: + BGP' is equivalent to BGP + G' is graph-equivalent to G + G' and BGP' do not share any blank node labels - G E-entails (G' union S(BGP')) - The RDF terms introduced by S all occur in B Fred
Received on Tuesday, 6 June 2006 19:04:02 UTC