disjoint classes in OWL

• From: Jeff Lansing <jeff@polexis.com>
• Date: Thu, 29 Jan 2004 14:33:56 -0800
• To: www-rdf-logic@w3.org
• Message-ID: <40198A54.9020808@polexis.com>

Given the following OWL ontology (in an abstract syntax) is it possible 
to determine anything about the overlap of the classes 'leg' and 'fin'?

Ontology(
 Class(animal)
 Class(part)
 Class(fin
  subclassOf(part))
 Class(leg
  subclassOf(part))
 Class(fish
  subclassOf(animal)
  complementOf(restriction(has someValuesFrom (leg)))
  restriction(has someValuesFrom (fin)))
 Class(reptile
  subclassOf(animal)
  complementOf(restriction(has someValuesFrom (fin)))
  restriction(has someValuesFrom (leg)))
 ObjectProperty(has
  domain(animal)
  range(part))
 DisjointClasses(fish reptile)
)

Presumably, if the writer went to the trouble of putting in the 
distinguishing restrictions, they ('fin' and 'leg') have to be different 
classes, but that's just presupposition, and not implication. But is 
there anything more that can be said?

Thanks,

Jeff

Received on Thursday, 29 January 2004 17:34:57 UTC