FT-SWRL: A Fuzzy-Temporal Extension of Semantic Web Rule Language

TL;DR

FT-SWRL introduces a fuzzy temporal extension to the Semantic Web Rule Language, enabling modeling of imprecise temporal knowledge in OWL ontologies through a formal, reasoning-based approach.

Contribution

It presents a novel fuzzy temporal model and SWRL built-ins, providing a standard method for representing and reasoning with imprecise temporal information on the semantic web.

Findings

Demonstrates the usefulness of fuzzy temporal SWRL built-ins for modeling imprecise temporal data

Provides a fuzzification process for interval-based temporal logic in OWL

Establishes FT-SWRL as a formal specification for fuzzy temporal reasoning

Abstract

We present, FT-SWRL, a fuzzy temporal extension to the Semantic Web Rule Language (SWRL), which combines fuzzy theories based on the valid-time temporal model to provide a standard approach for modeling imprecise temporal domain knowledge in OWL ontologies. The proposal introduces a fuzzy temporal model for the semantic web, which is syntactically defined as a fuzzy temporal SWRL ontology (SWRL-FTO) with a new set of fuzzy temporal SWRL built-ins for defining their semantics. The SWRL-FTO hierarchically defines the necessary linguistic terminologies and variables for the fuzzy temporal model. An example model demonstrating the usefulness of the fuzzy temporal SWRL built-ins to model imprecise temporal information is also represented. Fuzzification process of interval-based temporal logic is further discussed as a reasoning paradigm for our FT-SWRL rules, with the aim of achieving a complete OWL-based fuzzy temporal reasoning. Literature review on fuzzy temporal representation approaches, both within and without the use of ontologies, led to the conclusion that the FT-SWRL model can authoritatively serve as a formal specification for handling imprecise temporal expressions on the semantic web.