Space-time databases modeling global semantic networks

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel space-time database model for global semantic networks, binding documents to permanent entities in a generalized informational space to enable unchangeable, persistent knowledge representation and retrieval.

Contribution

It proposes a new space-time database environment based on permanent entities, offering a fresh approach to knowledge systems and retrieval in global distributed semantic networks.

Findings

Documents are unchangeable and absolutely persistent.

The approach enables new knowledge representation and retrieval techniques.

Application to global scientific libraries and workspaces is discussed.

Abstract

This paper represents an approach to creating global knowledge systems, using new philosophy and infrastructure of global distributed semantic network (frame knowledge representation system) based on the space-time database construction. The main idea of the space-time database environment introduced in the paper is to bind a document (an information frame, a knowledge) to a special kind of entity, that we call permanent entity, -- an object without history and evolution, described by a "point" in the generalized, informational space-time (not an evolving object in the real space having history). For documents (information) it means that document content is unchangeable, and documents are absolutely persistent. This approach leads to new knowledge representation and retreival techniques. We discuss the way of applying the concept to a global distributed scientific library and scientific workspace. Some practical aspects of the work are elaborated by the open IT project at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gil/.