Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Closed versus Open World Assumption

Let us take an example and define the following tripels:
  • dog is_a mammal;
  • cat is_a mammal;
  • mammal is_an animal;
  • fish is_an animal
  • mammals have vertebra;
Based on this knowledge do have fishes vertebra ?
A first interpretation is to say that fishes have no vertebra because it is not explicitly specify. This is the "Closed World Assumption". The second interpretation says that the non-specification means that we do not know. This is the "Open World Assumption".