TODO: Restrictions for precedes / preceded_by?
TODO: Which relation should be used between a region and an object? contained_in?
Design goals of the AFO: * Granularity independence. * Ability to fully represent time in standard OWL through "full temporary parts" of physical objects ('4D view'). * Best possible interoperability with BFO and ontologies based on BFO without introduction of logical inconsistencies. * Direct integration of the OBO Relation Ontology into AFO and best possible interoperability with ontologies that are based on the OBO Relation Ontology. * A generic transitive property called ("has part (etc.)" that is a superclass of all properties that imply parthood and containment between objects and processes. * Focus on the most basic useful ontological constructs and distinctions. * Defined deadline for ontology modifications: full stability of ontology structure and namespace after September 15, 2007.
Note: Some relations have been added under the obofoundry RO namespace that are not currently part of the original RO ontology (e.g. "has_function"). It is expected that these relations will be added to the original RO ontology in the future.
TODO: space-time-region migth be replaced with the corresponding class from BFO if this is deemed consistent.
Examples: the role of being a doctor, the function of the reproductive organs, the disposition of blood to coagulate, the disposition of metal to conduct electricity
Process, arbitrary part of process, aggregate of processes, processual context
Examples of processes: "the life of an organism, the process of sleeping, the process of cell-division" Examples of arbitrary parts of processes: "chewing during a meal, the middle part of a rainstorm, the worst part of a heart-attack, the most interesting part of Van Gogh's life" Examples of aggregates of processes: "the beating of the hearts of each of seven individuals in the room, the playing of each of the members of an orchestra, a process of digestion and a process of thinking taken together" Examples of processual contexts: "a surgical operation as processual context for a nosocomical infection, a routine check-up as processual context for the finding of a tumor, a clinical trial as processual context for the discovery of a new treatment or drug" (from the definition of BFO)
"Examples: the color of a tomato, the ambient temperature of air, the circumference of a waist, the shape of a nose, the mass of a piece of gold, the weight of a chimpanzee" (from the definition of BFO).
A region (or regions) of space during a certain timespan (or certain timespans). There is no requirement for spatial or temporal connectedness, i.e., a space-time-region can be made up of several, non-connected space-time-regions; and it can exist at several, non-connected time spans.
Two digital entities are the same if they are bite-wise identical.
Physical object, part of physical object, aggregate of physical objects, site
Examples for objects: "an organism, a heart, a chair, a lung, an apple" Examples for aggregates of objects: "a heap of stones, a group of commuters on the subway, a collection of random bacteria, a flock of geese, the patients in a hospital" Examples of arbitrary parts of objects: "upper and lower lobes of the left lung, the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body, the east side of Saarbruecken, the lower right portion of a human torso" Examples of sites: "a city, a nasal cavity, a blood vein, an environment, sinuses, canals, ventricles, the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, the location of the battle of Austerlitz, the interior of the aorta, the room in which one is located, the top of one's desk including the things that are on it and the atmosphere surrounding them" (examples from the definition of BFO) NOTE: contrary to BFO, objects in AFO can have temporal parts
" <has exemplary spatial part> " means that does not only have as a spatial part, but also many additional entities which have a high similarity with . We do not formalize which criteria need to be met for an entity to be 'similar' in this meaning, or which quantity constitues 'many entities'.
Examples: * <a liver> <has exemplary spatial part> <a liver cell> * <a crowd of people> <has exemplary spatial part> <a Person> * <water in a bottle> <has exemplary spatial part> <a water molecule>
" <has exemplary full temporal part> " means that does not only have as a full temporal part, but also many additional entities which have a high similarity with . We do not formalize which criteria need to be met for an entity to be 'similar' in this meaning, or which quantity constitues 'many entities'.
Examples: * <Heart> <has exemplary full temporal part> <Heart during contraction>
" <has exemplary part> " means that does not only have as a part, but also many additional entities which have a high similarity with . We do not formalize which criteria need to be met for an entity to be 'similar' in this meaning, or which quantity constitues 'many entities'.
Examples: * <Applause of the audience> <has exemplary part> <handclap>
contains
A relation between a relational quality and an entity.
" <has exemplary participant> " means that does not only have as a participant, but also many additional entities which have a high similarity with . We do not formalize which criteria need to be met for an entity to be 'similar' in this meaning, or which quantity constitues 'many entities'. Example: * <New York Marathon> <has exemplary participant> <John Doe>
bearer of quality, disposition, role or function
" <precedes (etc.)> " means that the end of the existance of A precedes the start of the existance of . and can be processes, objects or space-time regions.
" <has temporal part> " means that B refers to A at a certain time interval (or at several certain time intervals). The duration of is therefore smaller or equivalent to the duration of . During its existence is made up of ALL the matter of . does not need to be temporally connected, i.e. it can exist in many, non-continuous time intervals that are separated by time intervals where does not exist.
Examples: * <Pop concert> <has temporal part> <first song> * <John Doe> <has temporal part> <John Doe at the age between 15 and 20 years> * <Vienna> <has temporal part> <Vienna in each winter>
" <precedes> " means that the end of the existance of A precedes the start of the existance of . and have to be processes.
precedes
has part
A relationship that unifies several similar relationships into one: "has part", "has participant", "contains", "has agent", and "location of". Note: "<object123 > <has part (etc.)> <a process123>" means that some (or all) parts of object123 participate in process123.