Re: [xtm-wg] Again: How might we tie more formal semantics to TMs?

[<guy.a.lukes@frb.gov>]

[graham]
I would be interested in hearing peoples thoughts on the idea that topics
are not containers for occurrences, that occurences can be seen as links
between topics and reified resources. And that topic is not a link in the
xlink sense, in fact in any sense.

[daniel]
For me, the topic map graph *is* the topic map.

[sam]
Semantics : That on which we cannot agree

There are at least three metaphors that ground the encoding of information
and that are implicit in so much of the discussion of this list.  When
those metaphors are used appropriately they can greatly simplify and
clarify what is trying to be communicated.  When those metaphors are mixed,
they can result in an extremely verbose and opaque communication.

One of those metaphors is a set of connecting paths between intersections,
like you would see on a road map.  This metaphor can be formalized as a
graph, and is the obvious choice for modeling associations.  It has also
been used as a unifying principle to integrate the work of the XTM modeling
group.

Another metaphor is a set of concentric containers, like the file folders
of a file system, a table of contents or browser bookmarks.  This metaphor
can be formalized as a partial-order over a set, and I suspect is the way
that the untutored mind thinks about a topic.  It is also the basis for any
kind of serialized XML markup language.

A third metaphor is that of distance in space.  Objects are considered
identical, similar or different (together, near or far) based on a
calculation using the (possibly weighted) number of characteristics they
share.  This metaphor can be formalized as properties and values in a
multi-dimensional space.  Using RDF resource-property-value triples to
attach title, author, and other Dublin Core like property-values to a
document, provides a clear example of this usage.

When RDF triples are used to build a conglomeration of undifferentiated
coordinates, containers and graphs, things can get ugly.


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