An inference engine for RDF - Agfa

An inference engine for RDF
3. Related work
3.1. Automated reasoning
3.1.1. Introduction
After an overview of systems of automated reasoning, the strategy followed in
this thesis is briefly explained.
In connection with automated reasoning the terms machinal reasoning and, in a
more restricted sense, theorem provers, are also relevant.
There are proof checkers i.e. programs that control the validity of a proof and
proof generators.In the semantic web an inference engine will not necessarily
serve to generate proofs but to check proofs; those proofs must be in a format
that can be easily transported over the World Wide Web.
3.1.2. General remarks
Automated reasoning is an important domain of computer science. The number
of applications is constantly growing.
• proof of theorems in mathematics
• reasoning by intelligent agents
• natural language understanding
• mechanical verification of programs
• hardware verifications (also chips design)
• planning
• a proof checker controls a proof made by another system
• and ... whatever problem that can be logically specified (a lot!)
Generally, in automated reasoning there is a database of expressions and a logic
system. Whenever a lemma has to be proved, the logic system tries to use the
expressions in order to deduce the lemma.
In the Semantic Web the lemma is called a query. An answer is either the
confirmation of the query if the query does not contain variables; or it is the
query with the variables substituted with terms.
Hilbert-style calculi have been traditionally used to characterize logic systems.
These calculi usually consist of a few axiom schemata and a small number of
rules that typically include modus ponens and the rule of substitution.
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