SEMANTic NETWORKS.

Besides the linear notations for logic, researchers in artificial intelligence have developed graphic notations called semantic networks. The first semantic network appeared in the margin of a commentary, On Aristotles Categories, by the philosopher Porphyry in the third cenrury A.D. It was a small tree with Aristotle's categories arranged by genus (supertype) and species (subrype). The medieval logicians developed it into a more detailed hierarchy, which they called the Tree ofPorphyry (Figure l.l). Following is Porphyry's description ofthe hierarchy: Substance, for instance, is the single highest genus of substances, for no other genus can be found that is prior to substance. Human is a mere species, for after it come the individuals, the particular humans. The genera that come after substance, but before the mere species human, those that are found between substance and human, are species of the genera prior to them, but are genera ofwhat comes after them.