On Spatial Reasoning with Description Logics - Position Paper.
Michael Wessel · 2002
We discuss a family of DLs called ALCIRCC which are suitable for qualitative spatial reasoning on various levels of granularity. In contrast to our previous work where we investigated concept satisfiability in the basic description logic ALC in combination with composition–based role inclusion axioms of the form S ◦ T ⊑ R1 ⊔ · · · ⊔ Rn and role disjointness, we are now only considering the role axioms that are derived from the so-called RCC composition tables. In order to correctly capture the semantics of these relationships, inverse and disjoint roles are needed. We discuss what we have found out so far. We make some remarks on finite model reasoning, which is especially useful in database applications; e.g. the deductive qualitative Geographic Information System (GIS) scenario we have in mind. 1