Re: General Ontological Language (GOL)

["Party of Citizens" <citizens@vcn.bc.ca>]

If you want to teach natural language to a robot, start with the Peabody
Picture Vocabulary approach: "Point-and-Tell". Peabody is normed all the way
from age 2 to age 90. You can go quite far in teaching R4P a form of English
this way. From there it isn't too far to a National Convention, with The
Terminator on the stage and the rest of R4P's robot family; C-BOT from BCIT
will be the rival candidate.

Z

----- Original Message -----
From: "John F. Sowa" <sowa@bestweb.net>
To: <standard-upper-ontology@listserv.ieee.org>
Cc: <barbara.heller@imise.uni-leipzig.de>;
<herre@informatik.uni-leipzig.de>; <cg@cs.uah.edu>; <cl@philebus.tamu.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 2004 9:08 AM
Subject: General Ontological Language (GOL)


> I recently came across another project to develop a
> version of logic and an upper ontology, which builds
> on and integrates much of the ongoing research:
>
>
http://www.onto-med.de/en/publications/scientific-reports/om-report-no7.pdf
>
> This is a well documented study, which I believe
> should be considered along with other candidate
> documents for the SUO Working Group.
>
> As I have said many times, I don't believe that
> any single ontology (upper, middle, or lower)
> deserves to be blessed as a universal standard.
> However, I do believe that *all* promising
> candidates should be accommodated.  And this
> is indeed a very promising example.
>
> Following is the table of contents from the GOL
> document.  The two principal authors, Barbara Heller
> and Heinrich Herre, are on the cc list above.
>
> John Sowa
> ____________________________________________________
>
>             General Ontological Language (GOL)
>                       Version 1.0
>              Barbara Heller, Heinrich Herre
>                  in collaboration with
>        Patryk Burek, Frank Loebe, Hannes Michalek
>                       August 2004
>
> Contents
>
> 1 Introduction ......................................... 7
> 1.1 Formal Ontology and Information Systems ............ 7
> 1.2 General Architecture of GOL ........................ 8
> 1.3 Applications ....................................... 9
> 1.4 Related Work ...................................... 10
> 1.5 Structure of the Report ........................... 11
>
> 2 Meta-Ontological Principles, Basic Assumptions, and
>    Logical Methods ..................................... 13
> 2.1 Categories ........................................ 13
> 2.2 The Axiomatic Deductive Method .................... 13
> 2.3 Semantic Transformation and Interpretability ...... 14
>
> 3 Categories, Classes, Individuals, and Levels ........ 16
> 3.1 Types of Classes and Categories ................... 16
> 3.2 Individuals and Universals ........................ 16
> 3.3 Levels ............................................ 17
>
> 4 Space and Time ...................................... 19
> 4.1 Time .............................................. 19
> 4.2 Space ............................................. 21
>
> 5 Basic Categories of Individuals ..................... 22
> 5.1 Presentials, Persistants, and Processes ........... 22
> 5.2 Physical Structures ............................... 23
> 5.2.1 Physical Structures and Properties .............. 24
> 5.2.2 Physical Structures and Substrates .............. 24
> 5.2.3 Physical Structures and Space ................... 25
> 5.2.4 Boundaries of Physical Structures ............... 26
> 5.2.5 Physical Structures and Time .................... 27
> 5.2.6 Persistence and the Meaning of Proper Names ..... 27
> 5.3 Properties ........................................ 28
> 5.3.1 Property and Property Bearer .................... 29
> 5.3.2 Property Value .................................. 30
> 5.3.3 Quality and Quality Value ....................... 30
> 5.3.4 Classification of Properties .................... 31
> 5.4 Occurrents ........................................ 32
> 5.4.1 Processes ....................................... 32
> 5.4.2 Changes ......................................... 34
> 5.4.3 Discrete vs. Continuous Processes and States .... 34
> 5.4.4 Histories ....................................... 35
> 5.4.5 Simple and Complex Processes .................... 35
> 5.4.6 Relating Processes to Space ..................... 35
> 5.4.7 Process Classifications ......................... 36
> 5.5 Mental and Social Entities ........................ 37
>
> 6 Relations and Facts ................................. 39
> 6.1 Relations, Relators and Relational Roles .......... 39
> 6.1.1 Basic Notions ................................... 39
> 6.1.2 Classifications of Relations .................... 40
> 6.2 Facts, Propositions and Infons .................... 41
> 6.2.1 Basic Notions ................................... 41
> 6.2.2 Representing Facts .............................. 41
> 6.2.3 Classifications of Facts ........................ 43
> 6.2.4 Factual Universals .............................. 43
> 6.3 Formal Relations of the GFO ....................... 44
> 6.3.1 Class and Set-theoretical Relations ............. 44
> 6.3.2 Instantiation ................................... 45
> 6.3.3 Property Relations .............................. 45
> 6.3.4 Parthood and Its Neighbors ...................... 45
> 6.3.5 Relating to Time and Space ...................... 47
> 6.3.6 Association ..................................... 48
> 6.3.7 Ontical Connectedness ........................... 48
> 6.3.8 Existential Dependence .......................... 48
> 6.3.9 Future Extensions: Causality and Denotation ..... 49
>
> 7 Situoids, Situations, and Configurations ............ 50
> 7.1 Situations and Configurations ..................... 50
> 7.2 Situoids and Configuroids ......................... 51
>
> 8 Syntax of GOL ....................................... 53
> 8.1 Typed Representation Language RGOL ................ 53
> 8.1.1 Types ........................................... 53
> 8.1.2 Alphabet of the Language L(∑) ................... 54
> 8.1.3 Formulas of L(∑) ................................ 54
> 8.1.4 Axioms .......................................... 55
> 8.2 Type-free languages ............................... 56
> 8.2.1 Basic System BTF(GOL) ........................... 57
> 8.2.2 Extended System ................................. 58
> 8.2.3 First-order GOL (FO-GOL) ........................ 59
> 8.3 Conformance Principles and Summary of Languages ... 59
> 8.3.1 Dimensions of RGOL Subsystems ................... 59
> 8.3.2 Summary of Languages ............................ 59
>
> 9 Principles of Theory Building and Meta-Logical
>    Properties .......................................... 60
> 9.1 Modularization and Independence ................... 60
> 9.2 Consistency and Paraconsistency ................... 61
> 9.3 Uncompleteness Degrees ............................ 62
> 9.4 Decidability and Axiomatizability ................. 62
> 9.5 Definability ...................................... 63
>
> 10 Ontological Mappings and Reference Ontologies ...... 65
> 10.1 Basic Principles ................................. 65
> 10.2 Ontological Mappings of Terminology Systems ...... 66
> 10.3 Related Work ..................................... 67
>
> 11 Axiomatics of GFO in FO-GOL ........................ 69
> 11.1 Axioms Pertaining to Part-of ..................... 69
> 11.1.1 Preliminaries .................................. 69
> 11.1.2 Abstract Part-of: System AM .................... 69
> 11.1.3 Material Part-of ............................... 70
> 11.1.4 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................. 71
> 11.2 Axioms Pertaining to Time ........................ 71
> 11.2.1 Preliminaries .................................. 71
> 11.2.2 System T3: Temporal Boundaries ................. 73
> 11.2.3 System T3: Mereology of Time-regions ........... 73
> 11.2.4 System T3: Chronoids and Time-regions .......... 73
> 11.2.5 System T2 ...................................... 74
> 11.2.6 System T1: Temporal Boundaries ................. 74
> 11.2.7 System T1: Mereology of Chronoids .............. 74
> 11.2.8 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................. 75
> 11.3 Axioms Pertaining to Space ....................... 76
> 11.3.1 Preliminaries .................................. 76
> 11.3.2 Mereology of Space ............................. 78
> 11.3.3 Spatial Boundaries and Topology ................ 79
> 11.3.4 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................. 81
> 11.4 Axioms Pertaining to Presentials ................. 82
> 11.4.1 Preliminaries .................................. 82
> 11.4.2 Presentials and Presential Qualities ........... 84
> 11.4.3 Physical Structures and Space .................. 85
> 11.4.4 Physical Boundaries and Topology ............... 86
> 11.4.5 Classification of Physical Structures .......... 87
> 11.4.6 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................. 88
> 11.5 Axioms Pertaining to Persistants ................. 89
> 11.5.1 Preliminaries .................................. 89
> 11.5.2 General Axioms ................................. 90
> 11.5.3 Ontical Connectedness .......................... 91
> 11.5.4 Classification of Persistants .................. 92
> 11.5.5 Persistants and Processes ...................... 92
> 11.6 Axioms Pertaining to Occurrents .................. 92
> 11.6.1 Preliminaries .................................. 92
> 11.6.2 General Axioms ................................. 93
> 11.6.3 Mereology of Processes ......................... 93
> 11.6.4 Processes and Boundaries ....................... 94
> 11.6.5 Processes and Properties ....................... 94
> 11.6.6 Processes and Space ............................ 95
> 11.6.7 Classification of Occurrents ................... 95
> 11.6.8 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................. 96
> 11.7 Axioms Pertaining to Situoids and Situations ..... 97
> 11.7.1 Preliminaries .................................. 97
> 11.7.2 Situations: Global Axioms for Fixed Time-
>         boundary and Signature ......................... 99
> 11.7.3 Situations: Local Axioms for Fixed Time-
>         boundary and Signature ......................... 99
> 11.7.4 Situations: Global Axioms for Varying Time-
>         boundary and Free Signature ................... 100
> 11.7.5 Situations: Local Axioms for Varying Time-
>         boundary and Free Signature ................... 100
> 11.7.6 Situoids: General Axioms for Fixed Signature .. 101
> 11.7.7 Situoids: Local Axioms for Fixed Signature .... 102
> 11.7.8 Summary, Remarks, and Problems ................ 102
>
> 12 Axiomatics of GFO in RGOL ......................... 103
> 12.1 Type System ..................................... 103
> 12.2 Primitives ...................................... 103
> 12.3 Axioms on Categories ............................ 104
> 12.4 Axioms on Classes ............................... 105
>
> 13 Meta-logical Analyses ............................. 106
> 13.1 Abstract Part-of Relation ....................... 106
> 13.2 Ontology of Time ................................ 108
> 13.2.1 Preliminaries ................................. 108
> 13.2.2 Primitives and Model Structure ................ 108
> 13.2.3 Definitions ................................... 108
> 13.2.4 Axioms ........................................ 109
> 13.3 Comparison to Allen-Hayes’ Theory of Time ....... 111
> 13.3.1 Interpretation of T(AH) in T1 ................. 111
> 13.3.2 Interpretation of T1 in T(AH) ................. 112
>
> 14 Semantics of GOL .................................. 113
> 14.1 Model-theoretic Semantics ....................... 113
> 14.2 Situation and Situoid Semantics in General ...... 114
> 14.3 Situations ...................................... 114
> 14.4 Situoids ........................................ 118
> 14.4.1 Types of Infons in Situoids ................... 119
> 14.4.2 Types of Extensions of Situoids ............... 120
>
> 15 Comparison to Other Top-Level Ontologies .......... 124
> 15.1 Comparison to DOLCE ............................. 124
> 15.1.1 Ontological Levels ............................ 124
> 15.1.2 Classes, Universals and Individuals ........... 125
> 15.1.3 Time and Space ................................ 125
> 15.1.4 Presentials, Persistants and Endurants ........ 125
> 15.1.5 Properties, Qualities, Quality Values and
>         Qualia ........................................ 126
> 15.1.6 Processes and Perdurants ...................... 127
> 15.2 Comparison to Sowa’s Ontology ................... 130
> 15.2.1 Introduction: Construction Method ............. 130
> 15.2.2 Physical and Abstract Categories .............. 130
> 15.2.3 Firstness, Secondness and Thirdness ........... 131
> 15.2.4 Continuants and Occurrents .................... 132
> 15.2.5 Combination of the Distinctions ............... 132
> 15.2.6 Conclusion .................................... 132
>
> 16 Examples .......................................... 136
> 16.1 Example for Comparison: The Statue and the Clay . 136
> 16.1.1 Source Material ............................... 136
> 16.1.2 Ontological Analysis .......................... 136
> 16.1.3 Comparison with the DOLCE Formalization ....... 137
> 16.2 The Race Example ................................ 138
> 16.2.1 Source Material ............................... 138
> 16.2.2 Ontological Analysis .......................... 138
> 16.3 Staging Example ................................. 141
> 16.3.1 Source Material ............................... 141
> 16.3.2 Ontological Embedding into GFO ................ 141
> 16.3.3 Domain-specific Extension ..................... 143
>
> Acknowledgements ..................................... 144
>
> Appendix A: GFO Category and Relation Hierarchies .... 145
>
> Appendix B: Diagrammatic Schemes ..................... 149
>
> Bibliography ......................................... 154
>
> Index ................................................ 160
>
> Index of Symbols ..................................... 163
>