On Process Concretizing a GDC at Time 't'

[Anthony Petosa]

From GitHub (https://github.com/BFO-ontology/BFO-2020/blob/master/src/owl/bfo-core.ttl) - 'concretizes'

###  http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/BFO_0000059
<http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/BFO_0000059> rdf:type owl:ObjectProperty ;
     rdfs:domain [ rdf:type owl:Class ;
                              owl:unionOf ( <http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/BFO_0000015>
                                                       <http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/BFO_0000020>
                                                     )

     ] ;
     rdfs:range <http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/BFO_0000031> ;
     dc11:identifier "256-BFO" ;
     rdfs:label "concretizes"@en ;
     skos:definition "b concretizes c =Def b is a process or a specifically dependent continuant & c is a generically dependent continuant & there is some time t such that c is the pattern or content which b shares at t with actual or potential copies"@en ;
     skos:scopeNote "Users that require more sophisticated representations of time are encouraged to import a temporal extension of BFO-Core provided by the BFO development team. See documentation for guidance: <https://github.com/BFO-ontology/BFO-2020/tree/master/src/owl/profiles/temporal%20extensions>"@en .

From "Basic Formal Ontology 2.0: Specification and User's Guide Including Revisions in BFO 2020"

(version June 26, 2015, Revised on September 09, 2020, Section 3.8.1, p.79) - 'concretizes at'

             Elucidation: b concretizes c at t means:
                            b is a specifically dependent continuant
                            & c is a generically dependent continuant
                            & for some independent continuant that is not a spatial region d,
                            b s-depends_on d at t
                            & c g-depends on d at t
                            & if c migrates from bearer d to another bearer e
                                 than a copy of b will be created in e. [075-002]

              Domain: specifically dependent continuant
              Range: generically dependent continuant

A.1.2.53 Elucidation: an s-dependent continuant or process b concretizes a g-dependent continuant c at t when c is the pattern or content which b shares with actual or potential copies [207-BFO]

              Domain: specifically dependent continuant, process

Range: generically dependent continuant

EXAMPLES         The sum of patterns of ink on the pages of this copy of War and Peace concretizes the novel written by Tolstoy. 

In the BFO document, the 'concretizes at' elucidation is presented side-by-side, but they differ. The left-hand version claims b is an SDC; the right-hand version states b is either an SDC or a Process. The right-hand version aligns with the latest downloadable BFO core OWL file (see earlier reference).

Could this have been an accidental omission in the document, or does the left-hand side, as a point of comparison, intend to reference the definition or elucidation prior to this most recent revision?

I also took a look at the latest FOL generic dependence 'concretizes' axiom.

Concretizes is dissective on third argument, a temporal region [nyz-1]
8p,q,r,s(concretizes(p,q,r)^temporalPartOf(s,r) !concretizes(p,q,s))

The quantification and operator symbols do not translate to the character set available for posting here. For reference,

• 8 = universal quantifier
• ^ = conjunction (intersection)
• ! = implies

This rewrite uses the available character set to more closely approximate the FOL syntax.

Vp,q,r,s(concretizes(p,q,r) ^ temporalPartOf(s,r) -> concretizes(p,q,s))

In an FOL context, I understand the phrase “dissective on the third argument” means that if a predicate holds for a whole (e.g., at all times, something concretizes something else within some time period), then it also holds for all its temporal or spatial parts on the third argument (e.g., that same something concretizes the very same something else within some part of the same time period).

In BFO, the 'thing' doing the concretizing is either an SDC or a Process and the 'thing' being concretized is a GDC.

In plain English: If either a Specifically Dependent Continuant or a Process concretizes a Generically Dependent Continuant during some time, then they also concretize it during every part of that time.

I can see cases where a process concretizes a GDC. For example, a 'contract execution' (a specialization of BFO's Process) concretizes a 'contract document' (a specialization of BFO's Generically Dependent Continuant). I like the idea of not needing to rely on a Specifically Dependent Continuant alone to concretize a Generically Dependent Continuant at time t. I think allowing only an SDC to concretize a GDC is impractical at times. For example, one may only be interested in tracking 'contract execution' instances because 'contract execution' represents an important business activity and BFO allows it to concretize a 'contract document.' In contrast, one may have no interest in tracking a specific pattern of ink markings that concretizes a 'contract document.'

Would the BFO user guide's author(s) consider updating the 'concretizes at' example to include a process concretizing a GDC? For example, walking, running, lifting weights, etc. each concretize an exercise routine plan at time t. Building on the existing Tolstoy example, this specific occurrence of reading at this point in time concretizes Tolstoy's novel, "War and Peace."

One more request. Please always include the latest BFO user's guide document in this directory of a GitHub BFO distribution, https://github.com/BFO-ontology/BFO-2020/tree/master/documentation/user%20guides.