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2.



2015-2016

Model

A representation of a part of the real world

Domain
Abstraction points of view
Examples: a miniature, a map, a catalogue card, Newtons laws

A framework for building representations

Kinds of symbolic structures
Operations over those structures
Rules defining valid symbolic structures and valid transformations

Model vs. language

Conceptual model, semantic model

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Kinds of symbolic structures in a semantic model

entities
The Parthenon

attributes

relations

has height 14 m

in proximity to the
Erechtheion

particulars (instances)

universals (classes)

The Parthenon
Aphrodite of Milos

temple
statue

persistent

temporal

Marathon
The Parthenon frieze

2015-2016

The battle of Marathon

The making of the Parthenon
frieze

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Domain model
A complete domain model comprises
A schema:
An expression of the kinds of symbolic structures and pertinent rules
which express the general (categorical) knowledge about the domain
Formulated in accordance with a given data model

Data (state declarations):

Description of a specific state of the domain according to the schema

There is NO best model!

The quality of a model is relative to its purpose of use

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Creating a model

Encode subject verb- object structures as relational triples:

<entity1, relation, entity2>

graphically:

entity 1

2015-2016

relation

entity 2

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Lekythos no. 1055 was found at the tomb of Dipylos, weighs

1,5kg and carries a depiction showing Theophanti.
CLASS
Lekythos
weighs

carries

Depiction

depicts

Figure

found at
Place

Weight

instanceOf
INSTANCE
Lekythos no.
1055
weighs
found at
1,5 kg

2015-2016

carries

depicts
this_depiction

Theophanti

Tomb of
Dipylos

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Entities

Entities represent items which exist or can be thought of

independently.

The kinds, or categories, of entities can be thought of as sets of

similar entities, by some criterion, and are called classes.

Individual entities are called instances of the respective classes

Identification:

E.g. Lekythos no. 1055, Theophanti, Tomb of Dipylos

E.g. Lekythos, Figure, Place

Entities and classes must have unique identifiers

Automatically generated (e.g. a natural number)
Human readable for communication purposes

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Lekythos no. 1055 was found at the tomb of Dipylos, weighs

1,5kg and carries a depiction showing Theophanti.

ATTRIBUTE

RELATION

RELATION

DOMAIN

carries

Lekythos

weighs

Depiction

depicts

Figure

found at

RELATION
Weight

Place

RANGE

RANGE

Lekythos no.
1055
weighs
found at
1,5 kg

2015-2016

carries

depicts
this_depiction

Theophanti

Tomb of
Dipylos

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Relations and attributes : properties

A relation is a set of associations of the same kind between pairs of

individual entities
E.g. Lekythos found at Place
These associations are called instances of the relation

An attribute is a private property of the entities of a given class,

which takes a value from a specific set of values
E.g. Lekythos weighs Weight
Attribute instances

Syntactically, relations and attributes are similar: just think of values

as special kinds of entities.
Relations and attributes together are called properties

Domain of a property: the class of the first members of the pairs

Range of a property: the class of the second members of the pairs
Identification:
Properties are uniquely labeled within the scope of the domain
Property instances usually do not carry labels of their own

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Four basic kinds of modeling objects

universals (classes)

particulars (instances)

entities

Lekythos
Depiction
Figure
Place

Lekythos no. 1055

this depiction
Theophanti
Tomb of Dipylos

properties

Lekythos carries Depiction

Depiction depicts Figure
Lekythos found at Place

Lekythos no. 1055 carries this depiction

this depiction depicts Theophanti
Lekythos no. 1055 found at Tomb of
Dipylos

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Instantiation / classification relation

depicts

Depiction
in

Figure

in

in

this
depiction

Theophanti

Theophanti in Figure or Theophanti instanceOf Figure

In RDF: Theofanti rdf:type Figure

Instantiation / classification relation

particular a instanceOf universal A (entity or property)
must be declared : NOTHING GOES WITHOUT SAYING!
can be multiple, e.g.
-

this object in RedObject, Lekythos

Panos Constantopoulos in ComputerScientist, Professor, Swimmer

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name

11

String

surname

mother

measure

weight

Person

Real
Weight

father

unit

birth
Date

in

name

Anna

Panos
Constantopoulos

surname
mother
PC

Weight
Unit

measure

weight

67
WPC

father

birth
Christos

2015-2016

unit
kg
30/5/1955

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Specialization / generalization relation

name

String

surname

mother

measure

weight

Person

Real
Weight

father

unit

birth
isA
Scientist

Weight
Unit

Date

isA

specialty
exercises

Athlete

Discipline

Sport

Subset semantics
Inheritance of properties

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name

String

surname

mother

13

measure

weight

Person

Real
Weight

father

unit

birth
isA
Scientist

Weight
Unit

Date

isA

specialty

in

specialty

Sport

AB
exercises

Archaeology

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exercises

Athlete

Discipline

Scuba diving
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name

String

surname

mother

measure

weight

Person

Real
Weight

father

unit

birth
Date

isA

Scientist

Weight
Unit

specialty
Athlete

Discipline
Archaeologis
t

Scuba Diver

Submarine
Archaeologist
2015-2016

in

AB

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types: class vs. attribute

Human

gender

ET

Gender

Female

Human
Integer

#pregnancies
Man

Woman
5
ET

2015-2016

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Mereology
hasPart
Object

isA

Cylinder

hasEngine

Car
hasBody

hasCylinder

Engine

Body

hasIgnitionUnit

Ignition Unit

a transitive relation
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Events and activities

repaired

Builder
cost

House
from

terms

Date

Contract

Money

object

actor
Builder
cost
Money

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until

Repair
terms

from

Contract

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House
until
Date

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A small modelling exercise

In the Archaeological Museum of Heraklion the following two acts took
place:
G.P. donated to the Museum, through his lawyer, L.M., a small
amphora which he found in his vineyard.
Then, H.R., conservationist to the Museum, took the amphora to the
conservation lab for cleaning.

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hasPurpose

has participant
Activity

Actor
hasProfession

19

in role

hasPlace
Place

precedes

hasTime
involves

Actor Role

Date

Profession
Object

Discovery
Donation
Transport

donor
receiver
Actor

Cleaning

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20

10