- From: Thomas B. Passin <tpassin@comcast.net>
- Date: Tue, 19 Oct 2004 08:55:36 -0400
- To: www-rdf-interest@w3.org
Reto Bachmann-Gmuer wrote: > I'm probably just missing the problem, but can't just any n-order > predicate like predPQ(a, b, c) be reduced to _1(resPredPQ,a), > _2(resPredPQ,b), _3(resPredPQ,c)? No, not when the n-order predicate inherently represents a relation between two or more things. In your decomposition, any one of the three reduced expressions could be changed or falsified without affecting the other two. But when the original predicate concerns related things, one can't be changed without affecting the value of the other(s) as well. Say that there is a marriage between John and Sally. The marriage as a concept (or a legal state, for that matter) is concerned with a relationship between the two people. It cannot be carved up into binary relationships without doing serious damage to the basic concept. John can be "married", and Sally can be "married" (binary predicates). But the thing that brings them into the relationship, the marriage, inherently involves the two of them, and that is not binary. Cheers, Tom P -- Thomas B. Passin Explorer's Guide to the Semantic Web (Manning Books) http://www.manning.com/catalog/view.php?book=passin
Received on Tuesday, 19 October 2004 12:54:11 UTC