=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-130/paper-7
|storemode=property
|title=Semiotics for Ontologies and Knowledge Representation
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-130/Damjanovic.pdf
|volume=Vol-130
}}
==Semiotics for Ontologies and Knowledge Representation==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-130/Damjanovic.pdf
Semiotics for Ontologies and Knowledge
Representation
Violeta Damjanovic1, Dragan Gasevic2, and Vladan Devedzic2
1 Postal Savings Bank,
27. Marta 71, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
vdamjanovic@gmail.com
2
FON – School of Business Administration, University of Belgrade,
Jove Ilica 154, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia and Montenegro
gasevic@yahoo.com, devedzic@galeb.etf.bg.ac.yu
Abstract. The Semantic Web implies the comprehensive use of the main semi-
otic postulates on the Web. One of the most important facts about human un-
derstanding comes from the area of linguistics and semiotics. The semiotic
techniques, such as syntagm and paradigm are explained through the examples
in learning environment, in the context of logical understanding and knowledge
representation on the Web.
1 Introduction
In this paper, we discuss some of the basic semiotic principles and techniques, such
as the notion of sign, connotation and denotation, syntagm and paradigm. Logical
understanding, meaning creation, and knowledge representation is explained by using
semiotic techniques on the Web
2 Technological Advances on the Web
Efficiency of learning process on the Web implies a certain level of intelligence,
which will transform the Web into an intelligent entity. Hence, the term of Web Intel-
ligence (WI) appears. WI explores the fundamental and practical impacts of [1]:
− Artificial Intelligence (AI) - knowledge representation, planning, knowledge dis-
covery, data mining, intelligent agents, social network intelligence, and
− Advanced Information Technology (IT) - wireless networks, ubiquitous devices,
social networks, wisdom Web, data/knowledge grids.
Nowadays, the vision of the future Web, called the Semantic Web, is near its own
realization. The Semantic Web represents a new way of knowledge organization on
the Web in the form of decentralized vocabularies [2] - called ontologies. On the
intelligent Web, Web agents will be able to create new and to use existing meta-
knowledge from ontologies, to resolve their conflicts by themselves, to plan future
processes and discover new processes that arise between the existing Web ontologies.
3 Semiotic Principles
People recognize patterns of information and organize them to generate meaning.
Collections of these organized patterns form the languages for human communica-
tion. Considering the fact that everything can be a sign [3], that is becoming alive by
getting the meaning, we would try to explain some of the basic semiotic postulates in
the Semantic Web and learning mechanisms.
3.1 A Sign
A sign is anything that can be used to express a meaning. As traditionally analyzed
(by Saussurean 'dyadic' diagram of the sign [3]), the sign consists of two parts:
− A signifier - the form in which the sign appears,
− A signified - the concept (mental content) represented by the signifier.
In other words, the sign is a recognizable combination of a signifier with a particu-
lar signified. The standard interpretation of the sign is usually given by a semantic
function, which assigns an abstract syntax sign to a point in some domain, as well as
the variables of the sign to their meaning.
Unlike the syntax, which represents the way to recognize signs, as well as the for-
mal or structural relations among signs, semantics on the Web can be defined as a
comprehension of the intended meanings of the signs on the Web [4]. It is a way to
construct the meaning as a semantic value, produced through the marked terms and
knowledge that comes from the Web ontologies.
Languages that can be used for modeling ontologies are well known as Semantic
Web languages, based on XML, but with a notable level of semantics, which enable
the correct interpretation of the contents of marked knowledge. Nowadays, important
Semantic Web languages include RDF (Resource Definition Framework), RDFS
(RDF Schema), and OWL (Web Ontology Language). Based on a sign explanation,
there are certain relations between the signs (symbols) in human understanding gen-
erally, as well as on the Web. These relations can be opposition, correlations and
different logical relations among the signs. According to this fact, there are a syn-
tagm, paradigm, sememe, connotation, denotation, and many more.
3.2 Connotation/Denotation
Connotation and denotation are not two separate things/signs. They are two as-
pects/elements of a sign, and the connotative meanings of a word exist together with
the denotative meanings [3] [5].
− Connotation represents the various social overtones, cultural implications, or emo-
tional meanings associated with a sign.
− Denotation represents the explicit or referential meaning of a sign. Denotation
refers to the literal meaning of a word, the ‘dictionary definition.’
For example, the name ‘Hollywood’ connotes such things as glitz, glamour, tinsel,
celebrity, and dreams of stardom. In the same time, the name ‘Hollywood’ denotes an
area of Los Angeles, worldwide known as the center of the American movie indus-
try.
3.3 Syntagms/Paradigms
Apart from connotation/denotation mechanism, there are other semiotic principles
that form the comprehension of the different kinds of communication on the Web.
Because the meaning arises from the differences between signifiers, there are two
kinds of these differences: syntagmatic and paradigmatic. Both paradigmatic and
syntagmatic relations determine the ‘value’ of a sign. Syntagms and paradigms pro-
vide a structural context within which signs make sense [3] [6].
− Syntagm represents a combination of ‘this-and-this-and-this’ things/signs in a
sentence. A syntagm is an orderly combination of interacting signifiers forming a
meaningful whole within a text. In language, a sentence is a syntagm of words.
Syntagms can contain other syntagms. Syntagms are created by linking signifiers
from paradigm sets, which may be required by rule system (grammar).
− Paradigm represents a selection of ‘this-or-this-or-this’ things/signs. It is a set of
associated signifiers/signifies, which are all members of some defining category,
but they are significantly different from each other. In natural language, there are
grammatical paradigms, such as verbs or nouns, homophones or synonyms.
An example of using syntagm and paradigm principles for meaning creation and
knowledge representation in the field of e-learning will be explained in Sec. 4.
4 An Example of Using the Semiotic Principles on the Web
In order to explain the roles of the main semiotic principles in meaning creation for e-
learning, we start from an environment that has mechanisms for creation, communica-
tion, and interpretation of signs and symbols by using intelligent pedagogical agents.
Intelligent pedagogical agents have a role to facilitate learning process, to simplify
making decisions in preparing and finding existing learning materials, and to facilitate
real understanding descriptions and contents of those materials. In according to these
possibilities, we have to explain research on Learning objects (LOs). LOs represent a
part of the IEEE Learning Technology Standard Committee (LTSC), and it is defined
as any digital resource that can be reused to support learning, education or training
[7]. An LO consists of two parts:
− Content (different learning materials described using ontology-based annotations),
− Descriptive metadata (described by using IEEE LO Metadata (LOM) standard).
Intelligent pedagogical agents help a learner to find an appropriate LO, and their
semantically marked contents regarding the course that is being learnt. Fig. 1 shows
the way how the real semantic comprehension between pedagogical agents and LOs,
as well as ontologies, will be achieved. We try to explain how a pedagogical agent
searches for LOs and creates educational materials by using some of explained semi-
otic principles in e-learning environment. For example, syntagmatic and paradigmatic
dimensions are often presented as ‘axes’, where the horizontal axis is the syntagmatic
and the vertical axis is the paradigmatic. The combination of ‘this-and-this-and-this’
and the selection of ‘this-or-this-or-this’ of semantically marked notions represents
the syntagm and paradigm. The example of syntagm and paradigm principles for
meaning creation is shown in Fig. 2.
...
Content n
Metadata
LOn On,1 On,m O1,m
or
Paradigmatic axis
...
Content 2
O1,m-1
Metadata or
LO2 O2,1 O2,m
Content 1 and
Pedagogical agent
...
Content 1 Metadata
LO1 O1,1
Metadata
LO1 O1,1 O1,m Syntagmatic axis
Fig. 1. E-Learning environment and ontologies Fig. 2. Meaning creation
5 Conclusion
The Semantic Web concept comprises the main semiotic paradigms, and semiotics
gets a global perspective on the Web where all levels of system, as well as the knowl-
edge on the Web can be treated semiotically. In addition, we can notice that semiotics
contributes to the vital aspects of the future Web, and has the potential to affect the
AI and education community.
References
1. Zhong, N., Liu, J., Yao, Y., In Search on the Wisdom Web. IEEE Internet Computing. Vol.
35, No. 11, 2002, pp. 27-31.
2. Semaview Inc.: Concept to Reality: What the Emerging Semantic Web means to your
Business. 2002. [Online]. Available at: http://www.semaview.com/d/whitepaper.pdf
3. Peirce, C.S., Collected writings, (Ed. C. Hartshorne, P. Weiss, and A. W. Burks). Cam-
bridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1931.
4. Damjanovic, V., Gasevic, D., Devedzic, V., Djuric, D.: The Semiotic Contribution on the
Web. In Proceedings of the IEEE Intelligent Systems 2004, Varna, Bulgaria, 2004.
5. The Internet Semiotics Encyclopedia. [Online]. Available from:
http://www.arthist.lu.se/kultsem/encyclo/denotation_connotation.html.
6. Chandler, D., Semiotics for beginners, [Online]. Available from:
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/S4B/semiotic.html
7. IEEE Learning Technology Standards Committee. Learning Object Metadata (LOM).
IEEE 1484. 12.1 - 2002.