Comparison between RDF and TopicMap

• From: URAMOTO Naohiko <uramoto@trl.ibm.co.jp>
• Date: Wed, 20 Dec 2000 22:23:59 +0900
• To: www-rdf-interest@w3.org
• Message-Id: <4.2.0.58.J.20001220215517.04273310@ns.trl.ibm.com>

Hi,

I'm very interested in the difference between RDF and TopicMap from the 
viewpoint of power of expression. Are there any examples that describe same 
knowledge by using RDF and TopicMap?

For example, how can we describe the following statement by using them?

"Hamlet is (was) written by Shakespeare."

RDF expression (namespaces are ignored):

<Description ID="hamlet">...</Description>
<Description ID="shakespeare">...</Description>

<Description about="#hamlet">
      <written-by resource="#shakespeare"/>
</Desciprion>

# We can use domain/range to express association role (right?)

<rdfs:Property ID="written-by">
   <rdfs:domain rdfs:resource="#work">
   <rdfs:range   rdfs:resource="#author">
</rdfs:Property>

TopicMap expression:

  <topic id="hamlet"><instanceOf> ...</instanceOf> </topic>
  <topic id="shakespeare"><instanceOf> ...</instanceOf></topic>

<association>
    <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href="#written-by"/></instanceOf>
    <member>
        <roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#author"/></roleSpec>
        <topicRef xlink:href="#shakespeare"/>
    </member>
    <member>
        <roleSpec><topicRef xlink:href="#work"/></roleSpec>
        <topicRef xlink:href="#hamlet"/>
    </member>

Do they decsribe the above statement correctly?

Best Regards,
Naohiko

Naohiko URAMOTO
uramoto@trl.ibm.co.jp, uramoto@jp.ibm.com
Internet Technology, Tokyo Research Laboratory, IBM Research

Received on Wednesday, 20 December 2000 08:24:32 UTC