INFS3101/7100 Ontology and the Semantic Web

Exercises from Week 4

For discussion in tutorial week 5

Key concepts from lecture: Complex objects need both identity and unity. Identification and unification can be logical or lexical. Independent classes can help identify dependent classes. A whole can be identified metonymically. Identity and unity depend on context. Can be indexical. Countable types have both identity and unity. Bulk types lack one. Containers can give pseudo-identity to a bulk type.

1.           (relevant to points 5 and 6 of the assignment) Consider the rental accommodation exchange from the week 2 tutorial and the representation in the solution to the week 4 tutorial.

a.          Which classes are independent and which are dependent? How are instances of the dependent classes identified?

b.           Describe the shared complex objects. What are their parts? What are their identifying and unifying relations? Are they unifying relations logical or lexical? Are there any objects identified indexically? Any identified metonymically? Are the independent classes used in unifying relations? (Make plausible additions if necessary.)

c.           Describe the bulk classes in the ontology, showing how they are bulk classes. What containers are they in? Do the containers give pseudo-identity?