API4KP Core Ontology
type: Ontology
abstract: This ontology defines the core concepts of the API4KP framework, namely Knowledge Resources: Assets, Expressions and Artifacts
contributor: Elisa Kendall (ekendall at thematix.com)
creator: Davide Sottara (sottara.davide at mayo.edu)
license: http://opensource.org/licenses/MIT
imports: AnnotationVocabulary
imports: Collections
imports: ContextualDesignators
imports: Designators
imports: DOL-terms
imports: LanguageRepresentation
version IRI: api4kp
change note: The https://www.omg.org/spec/API4KP/20210201/api4kp.rdf version of this ontology was modified to leverage the Commons Ontology Library (API4KP-22), including replacement of references to Specification Metadata and references to LCC with the Commons Annotation Vocabulary and other Commons ontologies, and to reduce the dependency on DOL as appropriate. References to the latest version of ISO 1087 were incorporated (API4KP-25), and inconsistencies in the representation of linguistic entities were addressed (API4KP-29).
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Athan Services
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Fraunhofer Gesellschaft
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Freie Universität Berlin
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research (MFMER)
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Raytheon Technologies
copyright: Copyright (c) 2014-2023 Thematix Partners LLC
copyright: Copyright (c) 2015-2023 Object Management Group, Inc.
copyright: Copyright (c) 2019-2023 Universität Leipzig
copyright: Copyright (c) 2020-2023 Micro Focus

Expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge expression
note: API4KP expressions are expressions in a language that has a formal grammar, but do not necessarily need to have formal semantics themselves, whereas a DOL expression has formal semantics.

Language
type: Class
subclass of: Language
explanatory note: The natural-language definition of 'Language' in DOL is limited to 'word-based' languages, while the LCC definition is more general, including sounds and symbols.

OMS
type: Class
subclass of: abstract knowledge expression
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: expresses
  some values from: work of knowledge
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: represents
  some values from: knowledge
example: specification of the algorithm for the extraction of the square root of a number in some programming language such as Java (version 8)
note: By definition, an OMS is an information object that is about (an intellectual work that is about) some form of knowledge about something. In the context of API4KP, it is an expression of some Work of Knowledge in the Abstract Syntax of some language.
synonym: representation of knowledge

usesLanguage
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: uses language
range: Language
note: if a resource uses a language, it is possible to extract an expression from that resource that is a valid according to that language's grammar, and can be parsed into an abstract syntax tree

abstract knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge expression
disjoint with: concrete knowledge expression
definition: knowledge expression that conforms to the abstract syntax of the language(s) used in the expression itself
note: An abstract expression is the class of equivalence of concrete expressions in some Language, across the various serializations supported by that language.

activity
type: Class
definition: intentional process, executed with the active participation of one of more agents that carry out a plan

agent
type: Class
definition: entity that has the capability (potential) to initiate or participate in an activity
scope note: includes individual agents as well as parties; natural and artificial

artificial agent
type: Class
subclass of: agent
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is product of
  some values from: activity
definition: agent that is the product of some activity
scope note: includes 'intelligent' software agents, in the AI sense

basic knowledge resource
type: Class
subclass of: Class
  intersection of: knowledge resource
  intersection of: Class
    complement of: Restriction
      on property: has proper part
      some values from: knowledge resource
definition: atomic knowledge resource, i.e. knowledge resource that does not have proper parts that are themselves individual knowledge resources

complex knowledge resource
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge resource
definition: knowledge resource that can be decomposed into proper parts at the same level of abstraction

composite knowledge resource
type: Class
subclass of: complex knowledge resource
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: has proper part
  some values from: knowledge resource
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: has structuring component
  some values from: structuring knowledge expression
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: complex knowledge resource
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: has structuring component
    some values from: structuring knowledge expression
definition: complex knowledge resource that has proper parts that are individual knowledge resources, each playing different roles, and with mutual relationships

computable knowledge artifact
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge artifact
definition: knowledge artifact suitable to be used in knowledge processing activities performed by a software agent

concept
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge
definition: atomic (non-decomposable) unit of knowledge created by a unique combination of characteristics
note: The notion of concept as a 'unit of knowledge' is consistent with knowledge as a generically dependent continuant. The corresponding, but distinct, specifically dependent continuant is often referred to as 'unit of thought'
scope note: Individual members of this class are universals, which themselves archetype individuals that are instances of the given concept.
adapted from: ISO 1087 Terminology work and terminology science - Vocabulary, Second edition, 2019-09, clause 3.2.7
synonym: representational unit

concrete knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge expression
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is concretization of
  some values from: abstract knowledge expression
definition: knowledge expression that conforms to the concrete syntax of the language(s) used in the expression itself

constructive definition
type: Class
subclass of: definition
definition: definition that is an explicit specification enabling recognition and/or construction of instances that conform with the specification

decorated knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: serialized knowledge expression
definition: serialized knowledge expression that includes extra symbols used for presentation, but otherwise does not impact the recognition and/or the interpretation of the expression

defined concept
type: Class
subclass of: concept
definition: concept that has at least one explicit, shared definition
example: a concept that is captured in an ontology, and such that it has a formal definition expressible, e.g. in OWL or Common Logic

definition
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge asset
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: defines
  some values from: defined concept
definition: representation of a concept by a descriptive statement that serves to differentiate it from related concepts, such as by capturing necessary and sufficient conditions
adapted from: ISO 1087 Terminology work and terminology science - Vocabulary, Second edition, 2019-09, clause 3.3.1

encoded knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge expression
note: knowledge expression such that its symbols have been further processed to be inscribed on a specific knowledge carrier

knowledge
type: Class
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is about
  some values from: Thing
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: isPartOf
  some values from: knowledge
see also: The knowledge level. A. Newell. Artificial intelligence 18 (1), 87-127, 1982
definition: cognition (know-what), pragmatics (know-how) and understanding (know-why) about the nature and/or behavior of some Thing such that, when internalized by an agent, has the potential of generating actions in situations that the knowledge applies to
note: Knowledge empowers agents that are intelligent, knowledgeable and rational. - Given an agent that is in a situation such that the agent has awareness of, goals for, and the ability to act; - Assuming that the agent is knowledgeable and has internalized some knowledge that is about the situation the agent is in. - Assuming that the agent is intelligent, and can apply the knowledge to the situation to predict and plan the course of its actions - A rational agent will choose the plan that maximizes the probability to achieve its goals, and that (prior) probability has not been decreased by having the knowledge compared to not having it.
scope note: In API4KP, 'Knowledge' is a generically dependent continuant. As such, it can be expressed and communicated, and can be internalized by agents and/or engraved on carriers (thus becoming a specifically dependent continuant).
synonym: body of knowledge

knowledge artifact
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge carrier
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is inscribed with
  some values from: knowledge expression
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is product of
  some values from: activity
definition: digital or physical object that is specifically constructed to carry one or more (expressions of) knowledge assets
scope note: In FRBR, artifact types (manifestations) are distinguished from individual artifacts (items). In OWL-DL, unless punning is adopted, 'items' are individual members of this KnowledgeArtifact class; 'manifestations' can either be formalized as constrained subclasses of KnowledgeArtifact, or as individual concepts

knowledge asset
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge resource
subclass of: work of knowledge
definition: work of knowledge that is a knowledge resource considered valuable by a party
note: A knowledge asset is the class of equivalence of all its faithful expressions in different languages.
note: corollary 1: as knowledge resources, knowledge assets are immutable, versionable, identifiable and support at least one representation (i.e. expression in some language)
note: corollary 2: to be valuable to a party (agent or collective thereof), an asset must have been internalized by some agent, and/or shared evidence must exist that the knowledge does increase the likelihood of an agent's achieving their goals in situations where the knowledge applies

knowledge asset surrogate
type: Class
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: knowledge artifact
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: carries
    some values from: knowledge resource description
definition: knowledge artifact that carries metadata about a knowledge asset and its expressions

knowledge carrier
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge resource
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: carries
  some values from: knowledge asset
definition: physical or digital object that carries a knowledge asset
note: 'carrier' is more properly a role the connects an artifact to the piece of knowledge it carries
scope note: includes but is not limited to books, pictures, documents, files, waves, but also neural patterns

knowledge element
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge fragment
definition: atomic fragment that uses a single construct of the language used in the expression the fragment is part of

knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge resource
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: usesLanguage
  some values from: Language
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: expresses
  some values from: knowledge asset
see also: FRBR's notion of Expression
disjoint union of: abstract knowledge expression
disjoint union of: concrete knowledge expression
definition: expression of a piece of knowledge in some language, i.e. using a combination of signs and symbols that conform to the rules of the grammar of that language

knowledge fragment
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge resource
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: knowledge resource
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: is proper part of
    some values from: knowledge expression
definition: proper part of a knowledge expression that is not the realization of a knowledge asset itself
note: fragments express proper parts of a knowledge asset

knowledge manifestation
type: Class
subclass of: defined concept
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: archetypes
  some values from: knowledge carrier
see also: the notion of 'Manifestation' in FRBR
definition: concept that abstracts a specific class of knowledge artifacts, defining the common qualities of its members and their content

knowledge processing activity
type: Class
subclass of: activity
definition: activity that produces, consumes or otherwise makes use of knowledge as a resource
scope note: knowledge has to be used as an explicit resource - it is not sufficient that the agent performing the activity has knowledge of how to carry out the activity itself

knowledge resource
type: Class
definition: immutable, identifiable, versionable entity that is, expresses or carries some piece of knowledge
synonym: knowledge source

knowledge resource description
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge asset
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: knowledge asset
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: is about
    some values from: knowledge resource
definition: representation of knowledge that contains information about another resource

knowledgeable agent
type: Class
subclass of: Class
  intersection of: agent
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: performs
    some values from: knowledge processing activity
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: agent
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: internally represents
    some values from: knowledge
definition: agent that internally represents some (piece of) knowledge
note: The knowledge can be acquired in a variety of ways (learning, experience, teaching), but once internalized, the knowledge should drive the agent's behavior when applicable, and the agent should be able to express the knowledge so that it can be communicated.

primitive concept
type: Class
subclass of: concept
definition: fundamental concept that cannot be broken down into simpler concepts
scope note: The notion of 'primitive' concept is useful to define 'common' vs 'background' knowledge and, in particular, the requirements for an agent's ability to internalize a shared piece of knowledge. The more philosophical discussion on 'innate concepts' - concepts such that NO explicit, shared definition (needs to) exists - is instead irrelevant.

serialized knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge expression
definition: knowledge expression that manifests a concrete knowledge expression using a specific choice of symbols

structuring knowledge expression
type: Class
subclass of: OMS
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: expresses
  some values from: constructive definition
equivalent class: Class
  intersection of: OMS
  intersection of: Restriction
    on property: structures
    some values from: complex knowledge resource
definition: model that describes how a complex resource could be decomposed into functional parts, OR, a specification of how to compose knowledge resources into a composite resource
scope note: Some structures are extensional and expressed using a graph language (e.g. RDF(S)); other structures are intensional and expressed using a production language (e.g. DOL).
scope note: Some structures are set-oriented: aggregate resources that share some common type (e.g. rules, or ontology axioms); some structures are tree-oriented: there is a type of relationship (e.g. dependency) that imposes a tree-based ordering between the components.

work of knowledge
type: Class
subclass of: knowledge
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: isFormalizedBy
  some values from: Graph
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: captures
  some values from: knowledge
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: has proper part
  some values from: concept
subclass of: Restriction
  on property: is product of
  some values from: knowledge processing activity
see also: (Artistic) Works in FRBR
definition: finite, explicit (i.e. non-tacit) complex organization of concepts (units of knowledge) that can be communicated and internalized by some agent, and is the product of a knowledge processing activity
example: a formal Ontology, prepared by an ontologist, and engineered to answer a number of competency questions, independently of the actual formal language used to express it.
example: a lecture, as the outcome of a teacher's choosing and organizing the topics so they can be explained to the students.
example: a statistician's description of a stochastic process by means of a Markov model
example: an algorithm for the extraction of the square root of a number
example: the content of a newspaper article, as determined by a journalist deciding what facts and/or opinions to include, and how to present them, independently of any editorial and/or formatting
example: the technique for the preparation of the traditional 'ragu alla bolognese'
note: The organization of the concepts is deliberate: works of knowledge are designed to communicate knowledge that enables specific types of activities and facilitates the achievement of specific goals. The selection of what concepts are primitive within the scope of the work, and what relationships are established between different works, is also deliberate and usually depends on the target audience, i.e. the class of agents (and their background knowledge) that are expected to internalize the knowledge.
note: The term 'Work of Knowledge' mirrors the term 'Work of Art'

abbreviates
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is associated with
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge expression
definition: uses a smaller number of symbols, fragments, and/or concepts than the target expression, while sharing at least subject and topic

archetypes
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is about
domain: defined concept
definition: abstracts the common qualities of a class of individuals

captures
type: ObjectProperty
domain: work of knowledge
range: knowledge
definition: frames, organizes and makes explicit
scope note: knowledge can be tacit or explicit, and due to its graph-oriented nature, it may not have a definitive boundary. The curation act of a work of knowledge consists in scoping and externalizing a piece of that knowledge.

carries
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: knowledge carrier
range: knowledge asset
property chain axiom: embodies
property chain axiom: expresses
property chain axiom: is inscribed with
property chain axiom: is encoding of
property chain axiom: is serialization of
property chain axiom: is concretization of
property chain axiom: is realization of
definition: is inscribed with a (serialized) expression of a knowledge asset

completely expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: expresses
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: is such that, for each concept in the knowledge asset, has at least one fragment that captures it

conceptualizes
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: conveys formal structure
domain: Ontology
definition: provides a formalization of the necessary aspects of

conveys formal structure
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: faithfully expresses
sub property of: laconically expresses
sub property of: represents
sub property of: soundly expresses
note: faithfully, concisely, consistently and unambiguously expresses a knowledge asset using a formal (grammatical) structure, if not a knowledge representation language

defines
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: captures
sub property of: defines
domain: definition
range: defined concept
definition: provides the necessary and sufficient conditions to classify (and possibly to construct) instances of a concept

defines in terms of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: uses concept
sub property of: defines
domain: definition
range: concept
definition: requires instances of this concept to be inputs during the process of being applied, where the instances would have to be scoped by the same context

depends on
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is associated with
domain: knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
definition: involves such that its use is impacted by the availability of the target resource
note: An asset may depend on another asset if the latter is background knowledge that facilitates the understanding of the former.
scope note: includes mandatory vs. optional dependencies, named vs. type-based dependencies, and early vs. late resolution
synonym: leverages

embodies
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: knowledge carrier
range: knowledge expression
definition: has a copy of an (encoding of a concretization of a) knowledge expression inscribed on/in it
scope note: a specialization of the upper ontology notion of 'bearing'

expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
inverse of: is materialized in
definition: is the expression of a knowledge asset in a given language

faithfully expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: completely expresses
sub property of: lucidly expresses
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: expresses correctly and completely

has asset surrogate
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifested in
domain: knowledge asset
range: knowledge asset surrogate
definition: has descriptive knowledge about itself and its manifestations that is carried by some artifact

has exemplar
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: archetypes
domain: knowledge manifestation
range: knowledge artifact
definition: abstracts the common qualities of a class of knowledge artifacts

has proper part
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: hasPart
inverse of: is proper part of
definition: has part that is identifiable and distinct from the whole

has structural component
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has proper part
sub property of: is associated with
domain: composite knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
definition: has proper part that is a functional component (i.e. plays a role with respect to the other parts of the same composite it is part of)

has structuring component
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: has structural component
domain: composite knowledge resource
range: structuring knowledge expression
definition: has structural component whose role is to define roles and relationships between the other components

has subject
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is about
domain: knowledge resource
definition: is, expresses or carries knowledge of a class of entities that are loosely categorized

has topic
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is about
domain: knowledge resource
definition: is, expresses or carries knowledge of a specific aspect of the entities it has as a subject

internally represents
type: ObjectProperty
domain: artificial agent
definition: carries an internal representation of the knowledge (e.g. neurons, but also digital memories) that enables reasoning and planning

is about
type: ObjectProperty
definition: relates something to a particular subject or topic - who, what, how, when, where or why a referent entity is and/or behaves

is associated with
type: ObjectProperty
domain: knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
definition: is generically related to

is carried by
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifested in
domain: knowledge asset
range: knowledge carrier
inverse of: carries
definition: has some expression that is serialized and inscribed on a knowledge carrier, of which this asset is (part of) its content
synonym: has carrier
synonym: is content of

is concretization of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: concrete knowledge expression
range: abstract knowledge expression
definition: can be parsed into (the) abstract knowledge expression

is derived from
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is associated with
domain: knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
definition: created as the product of an activity that used another resource as an input, and such that some of the concepts used in the input resource ended up being used in this resource
note: a resource may be a derivative of any number of resources, all which need to contribute at least some concept.

embodied in
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifested in
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge carrier
inverse of: embodies
definition: has a (serialized and encoded) copy inscribed in the target carrier
scope note: a specialization of the upper ontology notion of 'inherence'

is encoding of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: encoded knowledge expression
range: serialized knowledge expression
definition: can be decoded into (the) serializedp knowledge expression

is inscribed with
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: knowledge carrier
range: encoded knowledge expression
synonym: engraved with

is involved in
type: ObjectProperty
range: activity
definition: entity that participates, playing some role, in an activity
synonym: participates in

is manifestation of
type: ObjectProperty
domain: knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
inverse of: is manifested in
definition: is mappable to a knowledge resource that exists at a higher level of abstraction on the asset / artifact chain

is manifested in
type: ObjectProperty
domain: knowledge resource
range: knowledge resource
definition: is mappable to a knowledge resource that exists at a lower level of abstraction on the asset / artifact chain

is materialized in
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifested in
domain: knowledge asset
range: knowledge expression
definition: can be reconstructed from the parsing and interpretation of
synonym: has expression

is product of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is involved in
range: activity
definition: exists as a consequence of the execution of an activity

is proper part of
type: ObjectProperty
type: IrreflexiveProperty
sub property of: isPartOf
definition: is part of something distinct

is realization of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: abstract knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: can be abstracted into (the) knowledge asset

is recipient of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is involved in
range: activity
definition: participates passively, and is somehow affected, during the course of an activity
synonym: is patient of
synonym: is target of

is serialization of
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is manifestation of
domain: serialized knowledge expression
range: concrete knowledge expression
definition: can be parsed into (the) concrete knowledge expression

is used in
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is involved in
range: activity
definition: is employed under the control of an agent that performs an activity, for the purpose of achieving a goal

is variant of
type: ObjectProperty
type: SymmetricProperty
type: TransitiveProperty
sub property of: is associated with
domain: Class
  union of: knowledge artifact
  union of: knowledge expression
range: Class
  union of: knowledge artifact
  union of: knowledge expression
definition: expresses or carries the same knowledge asset as, but differs in at least one of language, serialization, lexicon, alphabet, encoding, or internal arrangement thereof

laconically expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: expresses
source: (Weber, 1997): construct redundancy occurs when more than one grammatical construct can be used to represent the same ontological construct
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: such that, for each concept in the knowledge asset, that concept is always represented using the same construct every time it is evoked in a fragment of the expression

lucidly expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: expresses
source: (Weber, 1997): "construct overload occurs when a single grammatical construct can stand for two or more ontological constructs"
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: such that every fragment of the expression has no more than one possible interpretation as a concept that is part of the knowledge asset

models
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: conveys formal structure
domain: Model
definition: provides a descriptive formalization of the necessary and contigent aspects of

performs
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: is involved in
domain: agent
range: activity
definition: actively contributes to the progress of the activity towards the achievement of its goals

represents
type: ObjectProperty
domain: knowledge expression
property chain axiom: expresses
property chain axiom: captures
property chain axiom: is about
definition: expresses knowledge about something, usually in a formal way

soundly expresses
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: expresses
source: (Weber, 1997): "construct excess occurs when a grammatical construct does not map onto an ontological construct"
domain: knowledge expression
range: knowledge asset
definition: is such that every fragment in the expression can be interpreted in terms of concepts that are part of the knowledge asset
note: no element in the epxression is redundant

specifies
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: conveys formal structure
domain: Specification
definition: provides a prescriptive formalization of the normative and informative aspects of

structures
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: hasArrangement
domain: structuring knowledge expression
range: complex knowledge resource
definition: establishes (potential) components, roles and mutual relationships

uses concept
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: uses
domain: knowledge resource
range: concept
definition: is, expresses or carries knowledge of which this concept is either part or a dependency of

uses language
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: uses
range: Language
definition: employs a specific language in order to accomplish some task or achieve some result

uses natural language
type: ObjectProperty
sub property of: uses language
range: NaturalLanguage
definition: employs a specific natural language in order to accomplish some task or achieve some result