Re: RDF-star and Conjectures

On 16/09/2021 18:07, Fabio Vitali wrote:
> Dear all,
> 
> My main reason of interest in RDF* is the mechanism to express a triple without stating it (quoted triples, formerly embedded triples). I think that that postulating (i.e., expressing without asserting) is an extremely worthy thing to have and work with. I think that it is truly a fundamental and innovative aspect of RDF*.
> 
> Still, I am concerned that this applies only to individual triples and that annotations are considered just a syntactic trick to represent at the same time both a quoted triple and its assertion.

It is only syntax, why does that make it a "trick"?

rdf:type is syntax for <http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#type>

123 is syntax for "123"^^xsd:integer

> I am wondering, specifically, if the fact that quoted triples are postulated

Here, postulated is presuming about the claim.

Sometimes, we really do want so refer to the exact form of the triple - 
when on the web, the data may have different entailment regimes and 
assumptions.

Only if everything is local can you switch to the logical level only.

> but not asserted came out as a pleasant side effect of the peculiar type of reification adopted for the formal model of RDF* triples, or if this feature was (is, will be) considered as a true design goal for the group, and if there are plan to explore this specific subtree of additional features.
> 
> If this is the case, then I am wondering if there is an interest in discussing sooner or later about the following:
> 
> 1) promote annotations to first class citizens of the model, and not just leaving them as syntactic shortcuts

We loose the possibility of referring to a triple without assertion 
which arises in provenance. On the web, your inference assumptions != my 
inference assumptions.

Conjectures are more akin to RDF Reification where a reification is 
referring to the logical assertion whereas RDF-star is quoting the form.

In fact, I think access to the quoted form is needed for conjectures if 
it is to be a web technology.

Either a system which has graphs as RDF terms (N3) or the ability to 
refer to part to the contents of a conjecture is necessary on the web 
where there is data published by other people and not under the users 
control. How to describe and refer to elements of that other published data?

> 2) extend the reach from postulated triples to postulated graphs
> 3) include mechanisms to postulate the postulation of triples/graphs (already doable)
> 4) include mechanisms to postulate the assertion of postulated triples/graphs
> 5) work with the cascade effect of asserting chained postulations
> 
> If there is an interest in some of these topics, I would very much like to take part and contribute actively to the discussions, and I would like to know how and where and when should the discussion items be introduced.
> 
> Thank you
> 
> Fabio Vitali

Received on Friday, 17 September 2021 09:55:07 UTC