    # 1999/6/11

    #======================#
    # Organizing Knowledge #
    #======================#

    What is knowledge?

    How do I organize it?

    How do I describe it?

    What is Knowledge?
    ==================

    Knowledge is an identification of a fact of reality,
    reached either by perceptual observation, or by a
    process of reason based on perceptual observation.

            knowledge is personal
            knowledge is primarily a tool of thought
            knowledge is secondarily a tool of communication
            knowledge consists of true concepts
                      and true propositions
            NOTES:
            A concept, like a proposition, is true if it
            has referents in reality; otherwise it is false.

    Words and sentences are the concrete symbols
    which denote concepts and propositions.

    How do I organize it?
    =====================

    How do I minimize the size?

            use a hierarchy

    What's important to me?

            choose hierarchy structure according to my purpose

    How do I describe it?
    =====================

hierarchy outline

    definitions:

            A concept is a mental integration of two or more units
            possessing the same distinguishing characteristic(s),
            with their particular measurements omitted.

            A definition is a statement which identifies the nature
            of the units subsumed under the concept.

            Context is all knowledge currently available

    Knowledge Representation language:

            entity isin relationship=infon
            entity has attribute=value
            entity haspart part=count
            entity do action=event
            event changes eobject
                    from attribute=initial to attribute=final
            event1 causes event2
            relation has
                    format = "class:1; class:2; ...; class:n",
                    meaning = "... $1 ... $2 ... $n ..."

    	concept isa* existent
            concept isa genus
            concept is alias
            concept is genus with differentia
            concept ise unit
            concept is either unit1 or unit2 or ...
            # NOTE: this is a disjunction of units, not a set of units

    	knit isa knowledge		# knowledge unit
    	knit has view=v
            at space=s, time=t, view=v
            knit := I do identify existent

General References