Abstract
PLATYPUS is a prototype of a knowledge base system designed to facilitate scientific discovery in complex domains. PLATYPUS incorporates semantic data modeling capabilities, implementing Codd's RM/T model in innovative ways.
Property inheritance provides both an efficient method of storing otherwise redundant data values, and a means of drawing inferences about domains of study. Inheritance systems must face issues concerning the modification of values, and exception handling. Drawing upon the biological analogy the present discussion has proposed the use of dominant versus recessive markers to control contingent inheritance. Finally, there has been a discussion of how inheritance can be implemented within the framework of an RM/T model.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
Bibliography
Cadiou, J. M. "On Semantic Issues in the Relational Model of Data." Proc. 5 th Symp. on Math. Foundations of Computer Science, 1976, Gdansk, Poland. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 45, Springer-Verlag, pp 23ff.
Codd, E. F. "Extending the Database Relational Model to Capture More Meaning." ACM Transactions on Database System, Vol. 4, No. 4. 1979. pp 397–434.
Collins, Allan and Michalski, Ryszard. "The Logic of Plausible Reasoning: A Core Theory." Cognitive Science, Vol. 13. 1989, pp 1–49.
Etherington, David W. and Reiter, Raymond. "On Inheritance Hierarchies with Exceptions." Readings in Knowledge Representation edited by Ronald J. Brachman and Hector J. Levesque. Morgan Kaufmann Publishers, Inc. Los Altos, Ca. 1985. pp. 329–334.
Fahiman, Scott E. "Representing Implicit Knowledge." Parallel Models of Associative Memory edited by Geoffrey E. Hinton and James A. Anderson. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc., Publishers, Hillsdale, NJ. 1981.
Hall, P., Owlett, J., and Todd, S. "Relations and Entities." In Modelling in Database Management Systems. G. M. Nijssen, Ed., North-Holland Pub. Co. Amsterdam. 1976.
Hinton, Geoffrey E. "Implementing Semantic Networks in Parallel Hardware." Parallel Models of Associative Memory. Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc., Publishers. Hillsdale, NJ. 1981.
Shoshani, Arie and Wong, Harry. "Statistical and Scientific Database Issues." IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering, Vol. SE-11, No. 10. October, 1985. pp 1040–1047.
Shosham, Yoav. Reasoning About Change: Time and Causation from the Standpoint of Artificial Intelligence, MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1987.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Ghormley, R.E., Sallach, D.L. (1990). Platypus: Inheritance and scientific discovery. In: Michalewicz, Z. (eds) Statistical and Scientific Database Management. SSDBM 1990. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 420. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-52342-1_31
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-52342-1_31
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-540-52342-0
Online ISBN: 978-3-540-46968-1
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive