Modelling Object Typicality in Description Logics
We present a semantic model of typicality of concept members in description logics (DLs) that accords well with a binary, globalist cognitive model of class membership and typicality. We define a general preferential semantic framework for reasoning with object typicality in DLs. We propose the use of feature vectors to rank concept members according to their defining and characteristic features, which provides a modelling mechanism to specify typicality in composite concepts.

title: Knowledge Integration for Description Logics
abstract: Description logic reasoners are able to detect incoherences (such as logical inconsistency and concept unsatisfiability) in knowledge bases, but provide little support for resolving them. We propose to recast techniques for propositional inconsistency management into the description logic setting. We show that the additional structure afforded by description logic statements can be used to refine these techniques. Our focus in this paper is on the formal semantics for such techniques, although we do provide high-level decision procedures for the knowledge integration strategies discussed.

title: Admissible and Restrained Revision
abstract: As partial justification of their framework for iterated belief revision Darwiche and Pearl convincingly argued against Boutilier's natural revision and provided a prototypical revision operator that fits into their scheme. We show that the Darwiche-Pearl arguments lead naturally to the acceptance of a smaller class of operators which we refer to as admissible. Admissible revision ensures that the penultimate input is not ignored completely, thereby eliminating natural revision, but includes the Darwiche-Pearl operator, Nayak's lexicographic revision operator, and a newly introduced operator called restrained revision. We demonstrate that restrained revision is the most conservative of admissible revision operators, effecting as few changes as possible, while lexicographic revision is the least conservative, and point out that restrained revision can also be viewed as a composite operator, consisting of natural revision preceded by an application of a "backwards revision" operator previously studied by Papini. Finally, we propose the establishment of a principled approach for choosing an appropriate revision operator in different contexts and discuss future work.

title: Proceedings of the 2005 Australasian Ontology Workshop - Volume 58

title: Sydney OWL Syntax - towards a Controlled Natural Language Syntax for OWL 1.1
abstract: This paper describes a proposed new syntax that can be used to write and read OWL ontologies in Controlled Natural Language (CNL): a well-defined subset of the English language. Following the lead of Manchester OWL Syntax in making OWL more accessible for non-logicians, and building on the previous success of Schwitter’s PENG (Processable English), the proposed Sydney OWL Syntax enables two-way translation and generation of grammatically correct full English sentences to and from OWL 1.1 functional syntax. Used in conjunction with OWL tools, it is designed to facilitate ontology construction and editing by enabling authors to write an OWL ontology in a defined subset of English. It also improves readability and understanding of OWL statements or whole ontologies, by enabling them to be read as English sentences. It is hoped that by providing the option of an intuitive, easy to use English syntax which requires no specialized knowledge, the broader community will be far more likely to develop and benefit from Semantic Web applications. This paper is a discussion paper covering the scope, design, and examples of Sydney OWL Syntax in use, and the authors invite feedback on all aspects of the proposal via email to krr.sydneysyntax@cse.unsw.edu.au. Working drafts of the full specification are available at http://www.ics.mq.edu.au/~rolfs/sos.

title: Merging Epistemic States
abstract: Intelligent agents are often faced with the problem of trying to merge possibly conflicting pieces of information obtained from different sources into a consistent view of the world. We propose a framework for the modelling of such merging operations with roots in the work of Spohn . Unlike most approaches we focus on the merging of epistemic states, not knowledge bases. We construct a number of plausible merging operations and measure them against various properties that merging operations ought to satisfy. Finally, we discuss the connection between merging and the use of infobases , .

title: Tactic-Based Optimized Compilation of Functional Programs
abstract: Within a framework of correct code-generation from HOL-specifications, we present a particular instance concerned with the optimized compilation of a lazy language (called MiniHaskell) to a strict language (called MiniML). 
 
Both languages are defined as shallow embeddings into denotational semantics based on Scott's cpo's, leading to a derivation of the corresponding operational semantics in order to cross-check the basic definitions. 
 
On this basis, translation rules from one language to the other were formally derived in Isabelle/HOL. Particular emphasis is put on the optimized compilation of function applications leading to the side-calculi inferring e.g. strictness of functions. 
 
The derived rules were grouped and set-up as an instance of our generic, tactic-based translator for specifications to code.

title: Multimedia synchronization techniques: experiences based on different system structures
abstract: Multimedia synchronization" is needed to ensure a temporal ordering of events in multimedi a systems . There are two parts to this problem : the definition of temporal relationships among audio , video, and other data ; and the delivery of the data in accordance with these relationships . It i s important to distinguish between liveand synthetic-synchronization . Live-synch, deals with th e presentation of information in the same order as it was originally collected . For synthetic-synch . various pieces of information must be properly ordered and synchronized in time . Based on th e experiences in DiME and HeiTS, we document the implications of using a hybrid or a unified syste m structures on the required techniques for implementing synchronization .

title: Robustness to Code and Data Deletion in Autocatalytic Quines
abstract: Software systems nowadays are becoming increasingly complex and vulnerable to all sorts of failures and attacks. There is a rising need for robust self-repairing systems able to restore full functionality in the face of internal and external perturbations, including those that affect their own code base. However, it is difficult to achieve code self-repair with conventional programming models. 
 
We propose and demonstrate a solution to this problem based on self-replicating programs in an artificial chemistry. In this model, execution proceeds by chemical reactions that modify virtual molecules carrying code and data. Self-repair is achieved by what we call autocatalytic quines : programs that permanently reproduce their own code base. The concentration of instructions reflects the health of the system, and is kept stable by the instructions themselves. We show how the chemistry of such programs enables them to withstand arbitrary amounts of random code and data deletion, without affecting the results of their computations.

title: An Artificial Chemistry for Networking
abstract: Chemical computing models have been proposed since the 1980ies for expressing concurrent computations in elegant ways for shared memory systems. In this paper we look at the distributed case of network protocol execution for which we developed an online artificial chemistry. In this chemistry, data packets become molecules which can interact with each other, yielding computation networks comparable to biological metabolisms. Using this execution support, we show how to compute an average over arbitrary networking topologies and relate it to traditional forms of implementing load balancing. Our long-term interest lies in the robust implementation, operation and evolution of network protocols, for which artificial chemistries provide a promising basis.

title: On algorithmically checking whether a Hilbert series comes from a complete intersection
abstract: It is not possible to determine from the Hilbert series whether a commutative Z-graded Noetherian algebra is a complete intersection. Nevertheless, the Hilbert series of a complete intersection satisfies very stringent conditions and we define a concept CI-type for formal power series, that embodies some of these necessary properties. This definition becomes interesting mainly for algebras that are not standard i.e. not generated in degree 1. For the class of formal power series that occur as the Hilbert series of Z-graded Noetherian Cohen-Macaulay algebras, the main result is a criterion for a series to be of CI-type, that is formulated in terms of properties of truncated power series. Hence it can be used as the basis for an algorithm that provides in a finite number of steps either a rational function expression of the formal power series, or the information that the truncated power series is not of CI-type. Also sample computations using this algorithm on some non-standard graded invariant algebras are described.