Classification

One way to make the world more understandable is to classify its

objects, i.e. to put them into classes (the apples, the pears, the cars,
the human beings, the thougts, ...)

RDFS: RDF Schema Definition •  RDF objects (resources) can be classified by associating them with
classes.
•  An RDF class is a resource of type rdfs:Class
•  A resource O is an instance of a class C if it has type C, i.e. if there
G. Falquet is a triple (O rdf:type C)
2014

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Example Multi-classification
Represent ex:doc23.doc and ex:d97.doc are articles an object may be an instance of several classes

1. define a class Article

rdfs:Class*
2. assign type Article to ex:doc23.doc and ex:d97.doc
rdf:type* rdf:type*
rdf:type*

ex:ScientificText*
ex:Document* ex:Article*
rdfs:Class*
rdf:type* rdf:type*
rdf:type* rdf:type* rdf:type*
ex:doc23.doc* ex:Article*
ex:doc23.doc*
rdf:type*
ex:d97.doc*

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Structuring the classes : subClassOf Example
every published article is an article and a publication, and an
•  To better understand the world, organize the classes in a generic/ article is a document
specific hierarchy

•  A class C is a subclass of D if every instance of C is also an instance

of D ex:Document* ex:Publication*
rdf:type*
rdf:type*
Rem. rdfs:subClassOf*
1.  the sublcass relation is transitive
2.  if A is a subclass of B and B is a subclass of A then A and B are ex:Article* rdf:type* rdfs:Class*
equivalent rdfs:subClassOf*
rdfs:subClassOf*
rdf:type*
rdfs:subClassOf*
ex:PublishedArticle*

rdf:type*
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Inferences The class and instance levels

RDFS**has*predefined*entailment*rules:* It is generally a good idea to have two separate levels

rdfs:subClassOf*
from% infer%
P*rdfs:domain*C*.*x*P*y*.* x*rdf:type*C* Classes*
P*rdfs:range*D*.*x*P*y*.* y*rdf:type*D*
P*rdfs:subPropertyOf*Q*.** P*rdfs:subPropertyOf*R*.** rdf:type*
Q*rdfs:subPropertyOf*R*.** *
P*rdfs:subPropertyOf*Q.*x*P*y*.** x*Q*y*.*
C*rdf:type*rdfs:Class.*D*rdf:type*rdfs:Class.* C*rdfs:subClassOf*E*.** Instances*
r* p*
E*rdf:type*rdfs:Class.*
C*rdfs:subClassOf*D*.*D*rdfs:subClassOf*E*.*
C*rdfs:subClassOf*D.** x*rdf:type*D*.** r* q*
x*rdf:type*C.** *
p*
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A Modeling Question RDF allows any combination
Deciding if X should be a class or an instance is a matter of modeling rdf:type*
rdfs:subClassOf*
rdfs:Class*
ex:Food rdf:type rdfs:Class
ex:pizza rdf:type ex:Food
rdf:type*
ex:kebab rdf:type ex:Food rdf:type*
or
ex:Food rdf:type rdfs:Class
ex:pizza rdfs:subClassOf ex:Food rdf:type*
rdfs:subClassOf*
ex:kebab rdfs:subClassOf ex:Food

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Predefined classes Structuring properties

rdfs:Resource •  Specify the domain and range of a property
rdfs:Class
–  ex:teaches rdfs:domain ex:professor
rdf:Property
–  ex:teaches rdfs:range ex:course
rdfs:Literal the set of literal values, eg. textual strings.
rdf:Statement •  Specify subproperties
rdfs:Container , rdf:Bag , rdf:Seq , rdf:Alt
–  ex:motherOf rdfs:subPropertyOf ex:parentOf

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Predefined properties Example rdfs:Resource*

rdfs:subClassOf* rdfs:subClassOf*
rdfs:subClassOf*
rdf:Property*
rdfs:isDefinedBy " rdf:value "
rdf:subject " rdfs:comment " ex:IntellectualWork* rdf:type* ex:Person*
rdf:predicate " rdfs:label "
ex:wriWenBy* rdfs:subClassOf*
rdf:object " rdfs:domain " rdfs:subClassOf*
rdfs:domain* rdfs:range*
rdf:type (instance of)" rdfs:range "
rdfs:member " rdfs:seeAlso * ex:ArZcle* ex:Researcher*
rdf:type*
rdfs:subClassOf "
rdf:type* ex:wriWenBy*
ex:name*
ex:doc3901.txt*
"Bob*de*Moore"*
ex:Ztle* "RDF*Model*SemanZcs"*

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The top level more ... type

Class"
type subClassOf"
type" type"

Class" Container" subClassOf"

Ressource"
type type subClassOf
subClassOf"
subClassOf type" subClassOf"
Container" subClassOf"
Ressource" Bag"
Property"
Statement"

type" type"
range"
domain"
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