[topicmapmail] mathematical and taxonomic properties

[Lars Marius Garshol]

* Isabel Azevedo
>
> I'm starting to study Topic Map driven ontologies and I have some  
> doubts:
> is it possible to represent mathematical properties (like symmetry or
> transivity) or taxonomic properties (like disjoint) of a relation
> (association) using Topic Map?

Yes, this is possible, but no predefined vocabulary for doing it in  
Topic Maps exists. One approach would be to define your own, another  
to port OWL to Topic Maps and use that.

Note that symmetry does not need to be expressed, since symmetrical  
relations will always be represented in the following form:

   borders-with(norway : neighbour, sweden : neighbour)

Since both topics in the association play roles of the same type, the  
association must be symmetric.

--
Lars Marius Garshol, Ontopian               http://www.ontopia.net
+47 98 21 55 50                             http://www.garshol.priv.no