Network configuration with RDF

bullet1 About RDF

bullet2 Formal semantics

RDF has a simple formal semantics [1].

  • An RDF graph may be used to assert some truth about the world
  • The formal semantics of RDF gives rise to the important notion of entailment, which allows us to know formally that if some RDF graph is true, then certain other graphs must also be true, thus providing a basis for formal inference in RDF
  • A simple example of entailment in RDF is the "subgraph lemma":  any RDF graph entails all of its subgraphs

This is not a merely academic consideration:  in designing RDF metadata, the formal semantics do impose some structure on the way things must be defined.  This affects the rules for access control [2] in the example application presented

[1] RDF Semantics: http://www.w3.org/TR/rdf-mt/

[2] Using RDF for Home Network Configuration, section on access logic: http://www.ninebynine.org/SWAD-E/Scenario-HomeNetwork/HomeNetworkConfig.html#sect-AccessPermissionLogic