Concept network framework for a multi-paradigm knowledge base

Abstract

This paper describes a conceptual framework and an implementation medium for constructing multi-paradigm knowledge bases. The idea of a concept network is used as a basis for storing knowledge in different knowledge representation formalisms. Concepts from one formalism can refer to concepts from another, and the same knowledge can have different meanings in different contexts. It is based on a three layer system: the bottom layer is an associative network with no semantics, the middle layer is a semantic layer where the semantics of different formalisms are written using primitive functions of the associative network layer, and the top layer consists of a system of views which are special purpose windows into the knowledge base.