Entity doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't necessarily exhaust all possibilites. For example Werner Ceusters 'portions of reality' include 4 sorts, entities (as BFO construes them), universals, configurations, and relations. It is an open question as to whether entities as construed in BFO will at some point also include these other portions of reality. See, for example, 'How to track absolutely everything' at http://www.referent-tracking.com/_RTU/papers/CeustersICbookRevised.pdf
An entity is anything that exists or has existed or will exist. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [001-001])
Continuant doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't necessarily exhaust all possibilites. For example, in an expansion involving bringing in some of Ceuster's other portions of reality, questions are raised as to whether universals are continuants
A continuant is an entity that persists, endures, or continues to exist through time while maintaining its identity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [008-002])
if b is a continuant and if, for some t, c has_continuant_part b at t, then c is a continuant. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [126-001])
if b is a continuant and if, for some t, cis continuant_part of b at t, then c is a continuant. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [009-002])
if b is a material entity, then there is some temporal interval (referred to below as a one-dimensional temporal region) during which b exists. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [011-002])
(forall (x y) (if (and (Continuant x) (exists (t) (continuantPartOfAt y x t))) (Continuant y))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [009-002]
(forall (x y) (if (and (Continuant x) (exists (t) (hasContinuantPartOfAt y x t))) (Continuant y))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [126-001]
(forall (x) (if (Continuant x) (Entity x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [008-002]
(forall (x) (if (Material Entity x) (exists (t) (and (TemporalRegion t) (existsAt x t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [011-002]
Occurrent doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't necessarily exhaust all possibilites. An example would be the sum of a process and the process boundary of another process.
Simons uses different terminology for relations of occurrents to regions: Denote the spatio-temporal location of a given occurrent e by 'spn[e]' and call this region its span. We may say an occurrent is at its span, in any larger region, and covers any smaller region. Now suppose we have fixed a frame of reference so that we can speak not merely of spatio-temporal but also of spatial regions (places) and temporal regions (times). The spread of an occurrent, (relative to a frame of reference) is the space it exactly occupies, and its spell is likewise the time it exactly occupies. We write 'spr[e]' and `spl[e]' respectively for the spread and spell of e, omitting mention of the frame.
An occurrent is an entity that unfolds itself in time or it is the instantaneous boundary of such an entity (for example a beginning or an ending) or it is a temporal or spatiotemporal region which such an entity occupies_temporal_region or occupies_spatiotemporal_region. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [077-002])
Every occurrent occupies_spatiotemporal_region some spatiotemporal region. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [108-001])
b is an occurrent entity iff b is an entity that has temporal parts. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [079-001])
(forall (x) (if (Occurrent x) (exists (r) (and (SpatioTemporalRegion r) (occupiesSpatioTemporalRegion x r))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [108-001]
(forall (x) (iff (Occurrent x) (and (Entity x) (exists (y) (temporalPartOf y x))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [079-001]
b is an independent continuant = Def. b is a continuant which is such that there is no c and no t such that b s-depends_on c at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [017-002])
For any independent continuant b and any time t there is some spatial region r such that b is located_in r at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [134-001])
For every independent continuant b and time t during the region of time spanned by its life, there are entities which s-depends_on b during t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [018-002])
(forall (x t) (if (IndependentContinuant x) (exists (r) (and (SpatialRegion r) (locatedInAt x r t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [134-001]
(forall (x t) (if (and (IndependentContinuant x) (existsAt x t)) (exists (y) (and (Entity y) (specificallyDependsOnAt y x t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [018-002]
(iff (IndependentContinuant a) (and (Continuant a) (not (exists (b t) (specificallyDependsOnAt a b t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [017-002]
Spatial region doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't exhaust all possibilites. An example would be the union of a spatial point and a spatial line that doesn't overlap the point, or two spatial lines that intersect at a single point. In both cases the resultant spatial region is neither 0-dimensional, 1-dimensional, 2-dimensional, or 3-dimensional.
A spatial region is a continuant entity that is a continuant_part_of spaceR as defined relative to some frame R. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [035-001])
All continuant parts of spatial regions are spatial regions. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [036-001])
(forall (x y t) (if (and (SpatialRegion x) (continuantPartOfAt y x t)) (SpatialRegion y))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [036-001]
(forall (x) (if (SpatialRegion x) (Continuant x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [035-001]
Temporal region doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't exhaust all possibilites. An example would be the mereological sum of a temporal instant and a temporal interval that doesn't overlap the instant. In this case the resultant temporal region is neither 0-dimensional nor 1-dimensional
A temporal region is an occurrent entity that is part of time as defined relative to some reference frame. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [100-001])
All parts of temporal regions are temporal regions. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [101-001])
Every temporal region t is such that t occupies_temporal_region t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [119-002])
(forall (r) (if (TemporalRegion r) (occupiesTemporalRegion r r))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [119-002]
(forall (x y) (if (and (TemporalRegion x) (occurrentPartOf y x)) (TemporalRegion y))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [101-001]
(forall (x) (if (TemporalRegion x) (Occurrent x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [100-001]
A two-dimensional spatial region is a spatial region that is of two dimensions. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [039-001])
(forall (x) (if (TwoDimensionalSpatialRegion x) (SpatialRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [039-001]
A spatiotemporal region is an occurrent entity that is part of spacetime. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [095-001])
All parts of spatiotemporal regions are spatiotemporal regions. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [096-001])
Each spatiotemporal region at any time t projects_onto some spatial region at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [099-001])
Each spatiotemporal region projects_onto some temporal region. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [098-001])
Every spatiotemporal region s is such that s occupies_spatiotemporal_region s. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [107-002])
(forall (r) (if (SpatioTemporalRegion r) (occupiesSpatioTemporalRegion r r))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [107-002]
(forall (x t) (if (SpatioTemporalRegion x) (exists (y) (and (SpatialRegion y) (spatiallyProjectsOntoAt x y t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [099-001]
(forall (x y) (if (and (SpatioTemporalRegion x) (occurrentPartOf y x)) (SpatioTemporalRegion y))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [096-001]
(forall (x) (if (SpatioTemporalRegion x) (Occurrent x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [095-001]
(forall (x) (if (SpatioTemporalRegion x) (exists (y) (and (TemporalRegion y) (temporallyProjectsOnto x y))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [098-001]
p is a process = Def. p is an occurrent that has temporal proper parts and for some time t, p s-depends_on some material entity at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [083-003])
(iff (Process a) (and (Occurrent a) (exists (b) (properTemporalPartOf b a)) (exists (c t) (and (MaterialEntity c) (specificallyDependsOnAt a c t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [083-003]
b is a disposition means: b is a realizable entity & b’s bearer is some material entity & b is such that if it ceases to exist, then its bearer is physically changed, & b’s realization occurs when and because this bearer is in some special physical circumstances, & this realization occurs in virtue of the bearer’s physical make-up. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [062-002])
If b is a realizable entity then for all t at which b exists, b s-depends_on some material entity at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [063-002])
(forall (x t) (if (and (RealizableEntity x) (existsAt x t)) (exists (y) (and (MaterialEntity y) (specificallyDepends x y t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [063-002]
(forall (x) (if (Disposition x) (and (RealizableEntity x) (exists (y) (and (MaterialEntity y) (bearerOfAt x y t)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [062-002]
To say that b is a realizable entity is to say that b is a specifically dependent continuant that inheres in some independent continuant which is not a spatial region and is of a type instances of which are realized in processes of a correlated type. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [058-002])
All realizable dependent continuants have independent continuants that are not spatial regions as their bearers. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [060-002])
(forall (x t) (if (RealizableEntity x) (exists (y) (and (IndependentContinuant y) (not (SpatialRegion y)) (bearerOfAt y x t))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [060-002]
(forall (x) (if (RealizableEntity x) (and (SpecificallyDependentContinuant x) (exists (y) (and (IndependentContinuant y) (not (SpatialRegion y)) (inheresIn x y)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [058-002]
A zero-dimensional spatial region is a point in space. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [037-001])
(forall (x) (if (ZeroDimensionalSpatialRegion x) (SpatialRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [037-001]
a quality is a specifically dependent continuant that, in contrast to roles and dispositions, does not require any further process in order to be realized. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [055-001])
If an entity is a quality at any time that it exists, then it is a quality at every time that it exists. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [105-001])
(forall (x) (if (Quality x) (SpecificallyDependentContinuant x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [055-001]
(forall (x) (if (exists (t) (and (existsAt x t) (Quality x))) (forall (t_1) (if (existsAt x t_1) (Quality x))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [105-001]
b is a specifically dependent continuant = Def. b is a continuant & there is some independent continuant c which is not a spatial region and which is such that b s-depends_on c at every time t during the course of b’s existence. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [050-003])
Specifically dependent continuant doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't necessarily exhaust all possibilites. We're not sure what else will develop here, but for example there are questions such as what are promises, obligation, etc.
(iff (SpecificallyDependentContinuant a) (and (Continuant a) (forall (t) (if (existsAt a t) (exists (b) (and (IndependentContinuant b) (not (SpatialRegion b)) (specificallyDependsOnAt a b t))))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [050-003]
b is a role means: b is a realizable entity & b exists because there is some single bearer that is in some special physical, social, or institutional set of circumstances in which this bearer does not have to be& b is not such that, if it ceases to exist, then the physical make-up of the bearer is thereby changed. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [061-001])
(forall (x) (if (Role x) (RealizableEntity x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [061-001]
b is a fiat object part = Def. b is a material entity which is such that for all times t, if b exists at t then there is some object c such that b proper continuant_part of c at t and c is demarcated from the remainder of c by a two-dimensional continuant fiat boundary. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [027-004])
(forall (x) (if (FiatObjectPart x) (and (MaterialEntity x) (forall (t) (if (existsAt x t) (exists (y) (and (Object y) (properContinuantPartOfAt x y t)))))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [027-004]
A one-dimensional spatial region is a line or aggregate of lines stretching from one point in space to another. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [038-001])
(forall (x) (if (OneDimensionalSpatialRegion x) (SpatialRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [038-001]
An entity a is an object aggregate if and only if there is a mutually exhaustive and pairwise disjoint partition of a into objects
ISBN:978-3-938793-98-5pp124-158#Thomas Bittner and Barry Smith, 'A Theory of Granular Partitions', in K. Munn and B. Smith (eds.), Applied Ontology: An Introduction, Frankfurt/Lancaster: ontos, 2008, 125-158.
b is an object aggregate means: b is a material entity consisting exactly of a plurality of objects as member_parts at all times at which b exists. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [025-004])
(forall (x) (if (ObjectAggregate x) (and (MaterialEntity x) (forall (t) (if (existsAt x t) (exists (y z) (and (Object y) (Object z) (memberPartOfAt y x t) (memberPartOfAt z x t) (not (= y z)))))) (not (exists (w t_1) (and (memberPartOfAt w x t_1) (not (Object w)))))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [025-004]
A three-dimensional spatial region is a spatial region that is of three dimensions. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [040-001])
(forall (x) (if (ThreeDimensionalSpatialRegion x) (SpatialRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [040-001]
b is a site means: b is a three-dimensional immaterial entity that is (partially or wholly) bounded by a material entity or it is a three-dimensional immaterial part thereof. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [034-002])
(forall (x) (if (Site x) (ImmaterialEntity x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [034-002]
b is an object means: b is a material entity which manifests causal unity of one or other of the types CUn listed above & is of a type (a material universal) instances of which are maximal relative to this criterion of causal unity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [024-001])
b is a generically dependent continuant = Def. b is a continuant that g-depends_on one or more other entities. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [074-001])
(iff (GenericallyDependentContinuant a) (and (Continuant a) (exists (b t) (genericallyDependsOnAt a b t)))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [074-001]
A function is a disposition that exists in virtue of the bearer’s physical make-up and this physical make-up is something the bearer possesses because it came into being, either through evolution (in the case of natural biological entities) or through intentional design (in the case of artifacts), in order to realize processes of a certain sort. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [064-001])
(forall (x) (if (Function x) (Disposition x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [064-001]
p is a process boundary =Def. p is a temporal part of a process & p has no proper temporal parts. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [084-001])
Every process boundary occupies_temporal_region a zero-dimensional temporal region. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [085-002])
(forall (x) (if (ProcessBoundary x) (exists (y) (and (ZeroDimensionalTemporalRegion y) (occupiesTemporalRegion x y))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [085-002]
(iff (ProcessBoundary a) (exists (p) (and (Process p) (temporalPartOf a p) (not (exists (b) (properTemporalPartOf b a)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [084-001]
A one-dimensional temporal region is a temporal region that is extended. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [103-001])
(forall (x) (if (OneDimensionalTemporalRegion x) (TemporalRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [103-001]
A material entity is an independent continuant that has some portion of matter as proper or improper continuant part. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [019-002])
Every entity which has a material entity as continuant part is a material entity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [020-002])
every entity of which a material entity is continuant part is also a material entity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [021-002])
(forall (x) (if (MaterialEntity x) (IndependentContinuant x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [019-002]
(forall (x) (if (and (Entity x) (exists (y t) (and (MaterialEntity y) (continuantPartOfAt x y t)))) (MaterialEntity x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [021-002]
(forall (x) (if (and (Entity x) (exists (y t) (and (MaterialEntity y) (continuantPartOfAt y x t)))) (MaterialEntity x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [020-002]
b is a continuant fiat boundary = Def. b is an immaterial entity that is of zero, one or two dimensions and does not include a spatial region as part. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [029-001])
Continuant fiat boundary doesn't have a closure axiom because the subclasses don't necessarily exhaust all possibilites. An example would be the mereological sum of two-dimensional continuant fiat boundary and a one dimensional continuant fiat boundary that doesn't overlap it. The situation is analogous to temporal and spatial regions.
(iff (ContinuantFiatBoundary a) (and (ImmaterialEntity a) (exists (b) (and (or (ZeroDimensionalSpatialRegion b) (OneDimensionalSpatialRegion b) (TwoDimensionalSpatialRegion b)) (forall (t) (locatedInAt a b t)))) (not (exists (c t) (and (SpatialRegion c) (continuantPartOfAt c a t)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [029-001]
a one-dimensional continuant fiat boundary is a continuous fiat line whose location is defined in relation to some material entity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [032-001])
(iff (OneDimensionalContinuantFiatBoundary a) (and (ContinuantFiatBoundary a) (exists (b) (and (OneDimensionalSpatialRegion b) (forall (t) (locatedInAt a b t)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [032-001]
b is a process_profile =Def. there is some process c such that b process_profile_of c (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [093-002])
b process_profile_of c holds when b proper_occurrent_part_of c& there is some proper_occurrent_part d of c which has no parts in common with b & is mutually dependent on b& is such that b, c and d occupy the same temporal region (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [094-005])
(forall (x y) (if (processProfileOf x y) (and (properContinuantPartOf x y) (exists (z t) (and (properOccurrentPartOf z y) (TemporalRegion t) (occupiesSpatioTemporalRegion x t) (occupiesSpatioTemporalRegion y t) (occupiesSpatioTemporalRegion z t) (not (exists (w) (and (occurrentPartOf w x) (occurrentPartOf w z))))))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [094-005]
(iff (ProcessProfile a) (exists (b) (and (Process b) (processProfileOf a b)))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [093-002]
b is a relational quality = Def. for some independent continuants c, d and for some time t: b quality_of c at t & b quality_of d at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [057-001])
(iff (RelationalQuality a) (exists (b c t) (and (IndependentContinuant b) (IndependentContinuant c) (qualityOfAt a b t) (qualityOfAt a c t)))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [057-001]
a two-dimensional continuant fiat boundary (surface) is a self-connected fiat surface whose location is defined in relation to some material entity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [033-001])
(iff (TwoDimensionalContinuantFiatBoundary a) (and (ContinuantFiatBoundary a) (exists (b) (and (TwoDimensionalSpatialRegion b) (forall (t) (locatedInAt a b t)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [033-001]
zero dimension continuant fiat boundaries are not spatial points. Considering the example 'the quadripoint where the boundaries of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet' : There are many frames in which that point is zooming through many points in space. Whereas, no matter what the frame, the quadripoint is always in the same relation to the boundaries of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.
a zero-dimensional continuant fiat boundary is a fiat point whose location is defined in relation to some material entity. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [031-001])
(iff (ZeroDimensionalContinuantFiatBoundary a) (and (ContinuantFiatBoundary a) (exists (b) (and (ZeroDimensionalSpatialRegion b) (forall (t) (locatedInAt a b t)))))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [031-001]
A zero-dimensional temporal region is a temporal region that is without extent. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [102-001])
(forall (x) (if (ZeroDimensionalTemporalRegion x) (TemporalRegion x))) // axiom label in BFO2 CLIF: [102-001]
A history is a process that is the sum of the totality of processes taking place in the spatiotemporal region occupied by a material entity or site, including processes on the surface of the entity or within the cavities to which it serves as host. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [138-001])
To say that each spatiotemporal region s temporally_projects_onto some temporal region t is to say that t is the temporal extension of s. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [080-003])
To say that spatiotemporal region s spatially_projects_onto spatial region r at t is to say that r is the spatial extent of s at t. (axiom label in BFO2 Reference: [081-003])
Julius Caesar
Verdi’s Requiem
the Second World War
your body mass index
BFO 2 Reference: In all areas of empirical inquiry we encounter general terms of two sorts. First are general terms which refer to universals or types:animaltuberculosissurgical procedurediseaseSecond, are general terms used to refer to groups of entities which instantiate a given universal but do not correspond to the extension of any subuniversal of that universal because there is nothing intrinsic to the entities in question by virtue of which they – and only they – are counted as belonging to the given group. Examples are: animal purchased by the Emperortuberculosis diagnosed on a Wednesdaysurgical procedure performed on a patient from Stockholmperson identified as candidate for clinical trial #2056-555person who is signatory of Form 656-PPVpainting by Leonardo da VinciSuch terms, which represent what are called ‘specializations’ in [81
entity
(Elucidation) An entity is anything that exists or has existed or will exist
Julius Caesar; the Second World War; your body mass index; Verdi's Requiem
BFO 2 Reference: Continuant entities are entities which can be sliced to yield parts only along the spatial dimension, yielding for example the parts of your table which we call its legs, its top, its nails. ‘My desk stretches from the window to the door. It has spatial parts, and can be sliced (in space) in two. With respect to time, however, a thing is a continuant.’ [60, p. 240
continuant
(Elucidation) A continuant is an entity that persists, endures, or continues to exist through time while maintaining its identity
A human being; a tennis ball; a cave; a region of space; someone's temperature
BFO 2 Reference: every occurrent that is not a temporal or spatiotemporal region is s-dependent on some independent continuant that is not a spatial region
BFO 2 Reference: s-dependence obtains between every process and its participants in the sense that, as a matter of necessity, this process could not have existed unless these or those participants existed also. A process may have a succession of participants at different phases of its unfolding. Thus there may be different players on the field at different times during the course of a football game; but the process which is the entire game s-depends_on all of these players nonetheless. Some temporal parts of this process will s-depend_on on only some of the players.
occurrent
(Elucidation) An occurrent is an entity that unfolds itself in time or it is the start or end of such an entity or it is a temporal or spatiotemporal region
As for process, history, process boundary, spatiotemporal region, zero-dimensional temporal region, one-dimensional temporal region, temporal interval, temporal instant.
a chair
a heart
a leg
a molecule
a spatial region
an atom
an orchestra.
an organism
the bottom right portion of a human torso
the interior of your mouth
independent continuant
b is an independent continuant =Def b is a continuant & there is no c such that b specifically depends on c or b generically depends on c
An atom; a molecule; an organism; a heart; a chair; the bottom right portion of a human torso; a leg; the interior of your mouth; a spatial region; an orchestra
BFO 2 Reference: Spatial regions do not participate in processes.
spatial region
(Elucidation) A spatial region is a continuant entity that is a continuant part of the spatial projection of a portion of spacetime at a given time
As for zero-dimensional spatial region, one-dimensional spatial region, two-dimensional spatial region, three-dimensional spatial region
temporal region
(Elucidation) A temporal region is an occurrent over which processes can unfold
As for zero-dimensional temporal region and one-dimensional temporal region
an infinitely thin plane in space.
the surface of a sphere-shaped part of space
two-dimensional spatial region
(Elucidation) A two-dimensional spatial region is a spatial region that is a whole consisting of a surface together with zero or more surfaces which may have spatial regions of lower dimension as parts
The surface of a sphere-shaped part of space; an infinitely thin plane in space
the spatiotemporal region occupied by a human life
the spatiotemporal region occupied by a process of cellular meiosis.
the spatiotemporal region occupied by the development of a cancer tumor
Every spatiotemporal region occupies_spatiotemporal_region itself.
spatiotemporal region
(Elucidation) A spatiotemporal region is an occurrent that is an occurrent part of spacetime
The spatiotemporal region occupied by the development of a cancer tumour; the spatiotemporal region occupied by an orbiting satellite
'Spacetime' here refers to the maximal instance of the universal spatiotemporal region.
a process of cell-division, \ a beating of the heart
a process of meiosis
a process of sleeping
the course of a disease
the flight of a bird
the life of an organism
your process of aging.
BFO 2 Reference: The realm of occurrents is less pervasively marked by the presence of natural units than is the case in the realm of independent continuants. Thus there is here no counterpart of ‘object’. In BFO 1.0 ‘process’ served as such a counterpart. In BFO 2.0 ‘process’ is, rather, the occurrent counterpart of ‘material entity’. Those natural – as contrasted with engineered, which here means: deliberately executed – units which do exist in the realm of occurrents are typically either parasitic on the existence of natural units on the continuant side, or they are fiat in nature. Thus we can count lives; we can count football games; we can count chemical reactions performed in experiments or in chemical manufacturing. We cannot count the processes taking place, for instance, in an episode of insect mating behavior.Even where natural units are identifiable, for example cycles in a cyclical process such as the beating of a heart or an organism’s sleep/wake cycle, the processes in question form a sequence with no discontinuities (temporal gaps) of the sort that we find for instance where billiard balls or zebrafish or planets are separated by clear spatial gaps. Lives of organisms are process units, but they too unfold in a continuous series from other, prior processes such as fertilization, and they unfold in turn in continuous series of post-life processes such as post-mortem decay. Clear examples of boundaries of processes are almost always of the fiat sort (midnight, a time of death as declared in an operating theater or on a death certificate, the initiation of a state of war)
process
event
(Elucidation) p is a process means p is an occurrent that has some temporal proper part and for some time t, p has some material entity as participant
An act of selling; the life of an organism; a process of sleeping; a process of cell-division; a beating of the heart; a process of meiosis; the taxiing of an aircraft; the programming of a computer
an atom of element X has the disposition to decay to an atom of element Y
certain people have a predisposition to colon cancer
children are innately disposed to categorize objects in certain ways.
the cell wall is disposed to filter chemicals in endocytosis and exocytosis
BFO 2 Reference: Dispositions exist along a strength continuum. Weaker forms of disposition are realized in only a fraction of triggering cases. These forms occur in a significant number of cases of a similar type.
disposition
internally-grounded realizable entity
(Elucidation) A disposition b is a realizable entity such that if b ceases to exist then its bearer is physically changed & b's realization occurs when and because this bearer is in some special physical circumstances & this realization occurs in virtue of the bearer's physical make-up
An atom of element X has the disposition to decay to an atom of element Y; the cell wall is disposed to transport cellular material through endocytosis and exocytosis; certain people have a predisposition to colon cancer; children are innately disposed to categorize objects in certain ways
the disposition of this piece of metal to conduct electricity.
the disposition of your blood to coagulate
the function of your reproductive organs
the role of being a doctor
the role of this boundary to delineate where Utah and Colorado meet
realizable entity
(Elucidation) A realizable entity is a specifically dependent continuant that inheres in some independent continuant which is not a spatial region & which is of a type some instances of which are realized in processes of a correlated type
The role of being a doctor; the role of this boundary to delineate where Utah and Colorado meet; the function of your reproductive organs; the disposition of your blood to coagulate; the disposition of this piece of metal to conduct electricity
zero-dimensional spatial region
(Elucidation) A zero-dimensional spatial region is one or a collection of more than one spatially disjoint points in space
The spatial region occupied at some time instant by the North Pole
the ambient temperature of this portion of air
the color of a tomato
the length of the circumference of your waist
the mass of this piece of gold.
the shape of your nose
the shape of your nostril
quality
(Elucidation) A quality is a specifically dependent continuant that, in contrast to roles and dispositions, does not require any further process in order to be realized
The colour of a tomato; the ambient temperature of this portion of air; the length of the circumference of your waist; the shape of your nose; the shape of your nostril; the mass of this piece of gold
Reciprocal specifically dependent continuants: the function of this key to open this lock and the mutually dependent disposition of this lock: to be opened by this key
of one-sided specifically dependent continuants: the mass of this tomato
of relational dependent continuants (multiple bearers): John’s love for Mary, the ownership relation between John and this statue, the relation of authority between John and his subordinates.
the disposition of this fish to decay
the function of this heart: to pump blood
the mutual dependence of proton donors and acceptors in chemical reactions [79
the mutual dependence of the role predator and the role prey as played by two organisms in a given interaction
the pink color of a medium rare piece of grilled filet mignon at its center
the shape of this hole.
the smell of this portion of mozzarella
specifically dependent continuant
b is a specifically dependent continuant =Def b is a continuant & there is some independent continuant c which is not a spatial region & which is such that b specifically depends on c
(with multiple bearers) John's love for Mary; the ownership relation between John and this statue; the relation of authority between John and his subordinates
(with one bearer) The mass of this tomato; the pink colour of a medium rare piece of grilled filet mignon at its centre; the smell of this portion of mozzarella; the disposition of this fish to decay; the role of being a doctor; the function of this heart to pump blood; the shape of this hole
John’s role of husband to Mary is dependent on Mary’s role of wife to John, and both are dependent on the object aggregate comprising John and Mary as member parts joined together through the relational quality of being married.
the priest role
the role of a boundary to demarcate two neighboring administrative territories
the role of a building in serving as a military target
the role of a stone in marking a property boundary
the role of subject in a clinical trial
the student role
BFO 2 Reference: One major family of examples of non-rigid universals involves roles, and ontologies developed for corresponding administrative purposes may consist entirely of representatives of entities of this sort. Thus ‘professor’, defined as follows,b instance_of professor at t =Def. there is some c, c instance_of professor role & c inheres_in b at t.denotes a non-rigid universal and so also do ‘nurse’, ‘student’, ‘colonel’, ‘taxpayer’, and so forth. (These terms are all, in the jargon of philosophy, phase sortals.) By using role terms in definitions, we can create a BFO conformant treatment of such entities drawing on the fact that, while an instance of professor may be simultaneously an instance of trade union member, no instance of the type professor role is also (at any time) an instance of the type trade union member role (any more than any instance of the type color is at any time an instance of the type length).If an ontology of employment positions should be defined in terms of roles following the above pattern, this enables the ontology to do justice to the fact that individuals instantiate the corresponding universals – professor, sergeant, nurse – only during certain phases in their lives.
role
externally-grounded realizable entity
(Elucidation) A role b is a realizable entity such that b exists because there is some single bearer that is in some special physical, social, or institutional set of circumstances in which this bearer does not have to be & b is not such that, if it ceases to exist, then the physical make-up of the bearer is thereby changed
The priest role; the student role; the role of subject in a clinical trial; the role of a stone in marking a property boundary; the role of a boundary to demarcate two neighbouring administrative territories; the role of a building in serving as a military target
or with divisions drawn by cognitive subjects for practical reasons, such as the division of a cake (before slicing) into (what will become) slices (and thus member parts of an object aggregate). However, this does not mean that fiat object parts are dependent for their existence on divisions or delineations effected by cognitive subjects. If, for example, it is correct to conceive geological layers of the Earth as fiat object parts of the Earth, then even though these layers were first delineated in recent times, still existed long before such delineation and what holds of these layers (for example that the oldest layers are also the lowest layers) did not begin to hold because of our acts of delineation.Treatment of material entity in BFOExamples viewed by some as problematic cases for the trichotomy of fiat object part, object, and object aggregate include: a mussel on (and attached to) a rock, a slime mold, a pizza, a cloud, a galaxy, a railway train with engine and multiple carriages, a clonal stand of quaking aspen, a bacterial community (biofilm), a broken femur. Note that, as Aristotle already clearly recognized, such problematic cases – which lie at or near the penumbra of instances defined by the categories in question – need not invalidate these categories. The existence of grey objects does not prove that there are not objects which are black and objects which are white; the existence of mules does not prove that there are not objects which are donkeys and objects which are horses. It does, however, show that the examples in question need to be addressed carefully in order to show how they can be fitted into the proposed scheme, for example by recognizing additional subdivisions [29
the FMA:regional parts of an intact human body.
the Western hemisphere of the Earth
the division of the brain into regions
the division of the planet into hemispheres
the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body
the upper and lower lobes of the left lung
BFO 2 Reference: Most examples of fiat object parts are associated with theoretically drawn divisions
fiat object part
(Elucidation) A fiat object part b is a material entity & such that if b exists then it is continuant part of some object c & demarcated from the remainder of c by one or more fiat surfaces
The upper and lower lobes of the left lung; the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body; the Western hemisphere of the Earth; the FMA:regional parts of an intact human body
an edge of a cube-shaped portion of space.
one-dimensional spatial region
(Elucidation) A one-dimensional spatial region is a whole consisting of a line together with zero or more lines which may have points as parts
An edge of a cube-shaped portion of space; a line connecting two points; two parallel lines extended in space
a collection of cells in a blood biobank.
a swarm of bees is an aggregate of members who are linked together through natural bonds
a symphony orchestra
an organization is an aggregate whose member parts have roles of specific types (for example in a jazz band, a chess club, a football team)
defined by fiat: the aggregate of members of an organization
defined through physical attachment: the aggregate of atoms in a lump of granite
defined through physical containment: the aggregate of molecules of carbon dioxide in a sealed container
defined via attributive delimitations such as: the patients in this hospital
the aggregate of bearings in a constant velocity axle joint
the aggregate of blood cells in your body
the nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere
the restaurants in Palo Alto
your collection of Meissen ceramic plates.
BFO 2 Reference: object aggregates may gain and lose parts while remaining numerically identical (one and the same individual) over time. This holds both for aggregates whose membership is determined naturally (the aggregate of cells in your body) and aggregates determined by fiat (a baseball team, a congressional committee).
object aggregate
(Elucidation) An object aggregate is a material entity consisting exactly of a plurality (≥1) of objects as member parts which together form a unit
The aggregate of the musicians in a symphony orchestra and their instruments; the aggregate of bearings in a constant velocity axle joint; the nitrogen atoms in the atmosphere; a collection of cells in a blood biobank
'Exactly' means that there are no parts of the object aggregate other than its member parts.
The unit can, at certain times, consist of exactly one object, for example, when a wolf litter loses all but one of its pups, but it must at some time have a plurality of member parts.
a cube-shaped region of space
a sphere-shaped region of space,
three-dimensional spatial region
(Elucidation) A three-dimensional spatial region is a whole consisting of a spatial volume together with zero or more spatial volumes which may have spatial regions of lower dimension as parts
A cube-shaped region of space; a sphere-shaped region of space; the region of space occupied by all and only the planets in the solar system at some point in time
Manhattan Canyon)
a hole in the interior of a portion of cheese
a rabbit hole
an air traffic control region defined in the airspace above an airport
the Grand Canyon
the Piazza San Marco
the cockpit of an aircraft
the hold of a ship
the interior of a kangaroo pouch
the interior of the trunk of your car
the interior of your bedroom
the interior of your office
the interior of your refrigerator
the lumen of your gut
your left nostril (a fiat part – the opening – of your left nasal cavity)
site
(Elucidation) A site is a three-dimensional immaterial entity whose boundaries either (partially or wholly) coincide with the boundaries of one or more material entities or have locations determined in relation to some material entity
A hole in a portion of cheese; a rabbit hole; the Grand Canyon; the Piazza San Marco; the kangaroo-joey-containing hole of a kangaroo pouch; your left nostril (a fiat part - the opening - of your left nasal cavity); the lumen of your gut; the hold of a ship; the interior of the trunk of your car; hole in an engineered floor joist
atom
cell
cells and organisms
engineered artifacts
grain of sand
molecule
organelle
organism
planet
solid portions of matter
star
BFO 2 Reference: BFO rests on the presupposition that at multiple micro-, meso- and macroscopic scales reality exhibits certain stable, spatially separated or separable material units, combined or combinable into aggregates of various sorts (for example organisms into what are called ‘populations’). Such units play a central role in almost all domains of natural science from particle physics to cosmology. Many scientific laws govern the units in question, employing general terms (such as ‘molecule’ or ‘planet’) referring to the types and subtypes of units, and also to the types and subtypes of the processes through which such units develop and interact. The division of reality into such natural units is at the heart of biological science, as also is the fact that these units may form higher-level units (as cells form multicellular organisms) and that they may also form aggregates of units, for example as cells form portions of tissue and organs form families, herds, breeds, species, and so on. At the same time, the division of certain portions of reality into engineered units (manufactured artifacts) is the basis of modern industrial technology, which rests on the distributed mass production of engineered parts through division of labor and on their assembly into larger, compound units such as cars and laptops. The division of portions of reality into units is one starting point for the phenomenon of counting.
BFO 2 Reference: Each object is such that there are entities of which we can assert unproblematically that they lie in its interior, and other entities of which we can assert unproblematically that they lie in its exterior. This may not be so for entities lying at or near the boundary between the interior and exterior. This means that two objects – for example the two cells depicted in Figure 3 – may be such that there are material entities crossing their boundaries which belong determinately to neither cell. Something similar obtains in certain cases of conjoined twins (see below).
BFO 2 Reference: To say that b is causally unified means: b is a material entity which is such that its material parts are tied together in such a way that, in environments typical for entities of the type in question,if c, a continuant part of b that is in the interior of b at t, is larger than a certain threshold size (which will be determined differently from case to case, depending on factors such as porosity of external cover) and is moved in space to be at t at a location on the exterior of the spatial region that had been occupied by b at t, then either b’s other parts will be moved in coordinated fashion or b will be damaged (be affected, for example, by breakage or tearing) in the interval between t and t.causal changes in one part of b can have consequences for other parts of b without the mediation of any entity that lies on the exterior of b. Material entities with no proper material parts would satisfy these conditions trivially. Candidate examples of types of causal unity for material entities of more complex sorts are as follows (this is not intended to be an exhaustive list):CU1: Causal unity via physical coveringHere the parts in the interior of the unified entity are combined together causally through a common membrane or other physical covering\. The latter points outwards toward and may serve a protective function in relation to what lies on the exterior of the entity [13, 47
BFO 2 Reference: an object is a maximal causally unified material entity
BFO 2 Reference: ‘objects’ are sometimes referred to as ‘grains’ [74
object
(Elucidation) An object is a material entity which manifests causal unity & is of a type instances of which are maximal relative to the sort of causal unity manifested
An organism; a fish tank; a planet; a laptop; a valve; a block of marble; an ice cube
A description of three primary sorts of causal unity is provided in Basic Formal Ontology 2.0. Specification and User Guide
The entries in your database are patterns instantiated as quality instances in your hard drive. The database itself is an aggregate of such patterns. When you create the database you create a particular instance of the generically dependent continuant type database. Each entry in the database is an instance of the generically dependent continuant type IAO: information content entity.
the pdf file on your laptop, the pdf file that is a copy thereof on my laptop
the sequence of this protein molecule; the sequence that is a copy thereof in that protein molecule.
generically dependent continuant
g-dependent continuant
(Elucidation) A generically dependent continuant is an entity that exists in virtue of the fact that there is at least one of what may be multiple copies which is the content or the pattern that multiple copies would share
The pdf file on your laptop; the pdf file that is a copy thereof on my laptop; the sequence of this protein molecule; the sequence that is a copy thereof in that protein molecule; the content that is shared by a string of dots and dashes written on a page and the transmitted Morse code signal; the content of a sentence; an engineering blueprint
the function of a hammer to drive in nails
the function of a heart pacemaker to regulate the beating of a heart through electricity
the function of amylase in saliva to break down starch into sugar
BFO 2 Reference: In the past, we have distinguished two varieties of function, artifactual function and biological function. These are not asserted subtypes of BFO:function however, since the same function – for example: to pump, to transport – can exist both in artifacts and in biological entities. The asserted subtypes of function that would be needed in order to yield a separate monoheirarchy are not artifactual function, biological function, etc., but rather transporting function, pumping function, etc.
function
(Elucidation) A function is a disposition that exists in virtue of its bearer's physical make-up & this physical make-up is something the bearer possesses because it came into being either through evolution (in the case of natural biological entities) or through intentional design (in the case of artefacts) in order to realize processes of a certain sort
The function of a hammer to drive in nails; the function of a heart pacemaker to regulate the beating of a heart through electricity
the boundary between the 2nd and 3rd year of your life.
process boundary
p is a process boundary =Def p is a temporal part of a process & p has no proper temporal parts
The boundary between the 2nd and 3rd year of your life
the temporal region during which a process occurs.
BFO 2 Reference: A temporal interval is a special kind of one-dimensional temporal region, namely one that is self-connected (is without gaps or breaks).
one-dimensional temporal region
(Elucidation) A one-dimensional temporal region is a temporal region that is a whole that has a temporal interval and zero or more temporal intervals and temporal instants as parts
The temporal region during which a process occurs
a flame
a forest fire
a human being
a hurricane
a photon
a puff of smoke
a sea wave
a tornado
an aggregate of human beings.
an energy wave
an epidemic
the undetached arm of a human being
BFO 2 Reference: Material entities (continuants) can preserve their identity even while gaining and losing material parts. Continuants are contrasted with occurrents, which unfold themselves in successive temporal parts or phases [60
BFO 2 Reference: Object, Fiat Object Part and Object Aggregate are not intended to be exhaustive of Material Entity. Users are invited to propose new subcategories of Material Entity.
BFO 2 Reference: ‘Matter’ is intended to encompass both mass and energy (we will address the ontological treatment of portions of energy in a later version of BFO). A portion of matter is anything that includes elementary particles among its proper or improper parts: quarks and leptons, including electrons, as the smallest particles thus far discovered; baryons (including protons and neutrons) at a higher level of granularity; atoms and molecules at still higher levels, forming the cells, organs, organisms and other material entities studied by biologists, the portions of rock studied by geologists, the fossils studied by paleontologists, and so on.Material entities are three-dimensional entities (entities extended in three spatial dimensions), as contrasted with the processes in which they participate, which are four-dimensional entities (entities extended also along the dimension of time).According to the FMA, material entities may have immaterial entities as parts – including the entities identified below as sites; for example the interior (or ‘lumen’) of your small intestine is a part of your body. BFO 2.0 embodies a decision to follow the FMA here.
material entity
(Elucidation) A material entity is an independent continuant has some portion of matter as continuant part
A human being; the undetached arm of a human being; an aggregate of human beings
has realization
realized in
b has realization c =Def c realizes b
As for realizes
realizes
(Elucidation) realizes is a relation between a process b and realizable entity c such that c inheres in some d & for all t, if b has participant d then c exists & the type instantiated by b is correlated with the type instantiated by c
A balding process realizes a disposition to go bald; a studying process realizes a student role; a process of pumping blood realizes the pumping function of a heart
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: <Link>
participates in
(Elucidation) participates in holds between some b that is either a specifically dependent continuant or generically dependent continuant or independent continuant that is not a spatial region & some process p such that b participates in p some way
has participant
p has participant c =Def c participates in p
is concretized by
c is concretized by b =Def b concretizes c
concretizes
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
preceded by
b preceded by c =Def b precedes c
The temporal region occupied by the second half of the match is preceded by the temporal region occupied by the first half of the match
precedes
(Elucidation) precedes is a relation between occurrents o, o' such that if t is the temporal extent of o & t' is the temporal extent of o' then either the last instant of o is before the first instant of o' or the last instant of o is the first instant of o' & neither o nor o' are temporal instants
The temporal region occupied by Mary's birth precedes the temporal region occupied by Mary's death.
Each temporal region is its own temporal extent. The temporal extent of a spatiotemporal region is the temporal region it temporally projects onto. The temporal extent of a process or process boundary that occupies temporal region t is t.
Precedes defines a strict partial order on occurrents.
occurs in
b occurs in c =Def b is a process or a process boundary & c is a material entity or site & there exists a spatiotemporal region r & b occupies spatiotemporal region r & for all time t, if b exists at t then c exists at t & there exist spatial regions s and s' where b spatially projects onto s at t & c occupies spatial region s' at t & s is a continuant part of s' at t
A process of digestion occurs in the interior of an organism; a process of loading artillery rounds into a tank cannon occurs in the interior of the tank
generically depends on
g-depends on
b generically depends on c =Def b is a generically dependent continuant & c is an independent continuant that is not a spatial region & at some time t there inheres in c a specifically dependent continuant which concretizes b at t
is carrier of
b is carrier of c =Def there is some time t such that c generically depends on b at t
exists at
(Elucidation) exists at is a relation between a particular and some temporal region at which the particular exists
First World War exists at 1914-1916; Mexico exists at January 1, 2000
has member part
b has member part c =Def c member part of b
has occurrent part
b has occurrent part c =Def c occurrent part of b
Mary's life has occurrent part Mary's 5th birthday
has temporal part
b has temporal part c =Def c temporal part of b
Your life has temporal part the first year of your life
location of
b location of c =Def c located in b
material basis of
b material basis of c =Def c has material basis b
member part of
b member part of c =Def b is an object & c is a material entity & there is some time t such that b continuant part of c at t & there is a mutually exhaustive and pairwise disjoint partition of c into objects x1, ..., xn (for some n ≠ 1) with b = xi (for some 1 <= i <= n)
occurrent part of
(Elucidation) occurrent part of is a relation between occurrents b and c when b is part of c
Mary's 5th birthday is an occurrent part of Mary's life; the first set of the tennis match is an occurrent part of the tennis match
temporal part of
b temporal part of c =Def b occurrent part of c & (b and c are temporal regions) or (b and c are spatiotemporal regions & b temporally projects onto an occurrent part of the temporal region that c temporally projects onto) or (b and c are processes or process boundaries & b occupies a temporal region that is an occurrent part of the temporal region that c occupies)
Your heart beating from 4pm to 5pm today is a temporal part of the process of your heart beating; the 4th year of your life is a temporal part of your life, as is the process boundary which separates the 3rd and 4th years of your life; the first quarter of a game of football is a temporal part of the whole game
BFO 2 Reference: In BFO 1.1 the assumption was made that the external surface of a material entity such as a cell could be treated as if it were a boundary in the mathematical sense. The new document propounds the view that when we talk about external surfaces of material objects in this way then we are talking about something fiat. To be dealt with in a future version: fiat boundaries at different levels of granularity.More generally, the focus in discussion of boundaries in BFO 2.0 is now on fiat boundaries, which means: boundaries for which there is no assumption that they coincide with physical discontinuities. The ontology of boundaries becomes more closely allied with the ontology of regions.
BFO 2 Reference: a continuant fiat boundary is a boundary of some material entity (for example: the plane separating the Northern and Southern hemispheres; the North Pole), or it is a boundary of some immaterial entity (for example of some portion of airspace). Three basic kinds of continuant fiat boundary can be distinguished (together with various combination kinds [29
Every continuant fiat boundary is located at some spatial region at every time at which it exists
continuant fiat boundary
(Elucidation) A continuant fiat boundary b is an immaterial entity that is of zero, one or two dimensions & such that there is no time t when b has a spatial region as continuant part & whose location is determined in relation to some material entity
As for fiat point, fiat line, fiat surface
BFO 2 Reference: Immaterial entities are divided into two subgroups:boundaries and sites, which bound, or are demarcated in relation, to material entities, and which can thus change location, shape and size and as their material hosts move or change shape or size (for example: your nasal passage; the hold of a ship; the boundary of Wales (which moves with the rotation of the Earth) [38, 7, 10
immaterial entity
b is an immaterial entity =Def b is an independent continuant which is such that there is no time t when it has a material entity as continuant part
As for fiat point, fiat line, fiat surface, site
The Equator
all geopolitical boundaries
all lines of latitude and longitude
the line separating the outer surface of the mucosa of the lower lip from the outer surface of the skin of the chin.
the median sulcus of your tongue
fiat line
one-dimensional continuant fiat boundary
(Elucidation) A fiat line is a one-dimensional continuant fiat boundary that is continuous
The Equator; all geopolitical boundaries; all lines of latitude and longitude; the median sulcus of your tongue; the line separating the outer surface of the mucosa of the lower lip from the outer surface of the skin of the chin
On a somewhat higher level of complexity are what we shall call rate process profiles, which are the targets of selective abstraction focused not on determinate quality magnitudes plotted over time, but rather on certain ratios between these magnitudes and elapsed times. A speed process profile, for example, is represented by a graph plotting against time the ratio of distance covered per unit of time. Since rates may change, and since such changes, too, may have rates of change, we have to deal here with a hierarchy of process profile universals at successive levels
One important sub-family of rate process profiles is illustrated by the beat or frequency profiles of cyclical processes, illustrated by the 60 beats per minute beating process of John’s heart, or the 120 beats per minute drumming process involved in one of John’s performances in a rock band, and so on. Each such process includes what we shall call a beat process profile instance as part, a subtype of rate process profile in which the salient ratio is not distance covered but rather number of beat cycles per unit of time. Each beat process profile instance instantiates the determinable universal beat process profile. But it also instantiates multiple more specialized universals at lower levels of generality, selected from rate process profilebeat process profileregular beat process profile3 bpm beat process profile4 bpm beat process profileirregular beat process profileincreasing beat process profileand so on.In the case of a regular beat process profile, a rate can be assigned in the simplest possible fashion by dividing the number of cycles by the length of the temporal region occupied by the beating process profile as a whole. Irregular process profiles of this sort, for example as identified in the clinic, or in the readings on an aircraft instrument panel, are often of diagnostic significance.
The simplest type of process profiles are what we shall call ‘quality process profiles’, which are the process profiles which serve as the foci of the sort of selective abstraction that is involved when measurements are made of changes in single qualities, as illustrated, for example, by process profiles of mass, temperature, aortic pressure, and so on.
process profile
a marriage bond, an instance of love, an obligation between one person and another.
a marriage bond, an instance of requited love, an obligation between one person and another.
relational quality
b is a relational quality =Def b is a quality & there exists c and d such that c and d are not identical & b specifically depends on c & b specifically depends on d
A marriage bond; an instance of love; an obligation between one person and another
fiat surface
two-dimensional continuant fiat boundary
(Elucidation) A fiat surface is a two-dimensional continuant fiat boundary that is self-connected
The surface of the Earth; the plane separating the smoking from the non-smoking zone in a restaurant
the geographic North Pole
the point of origin of some spatial coordinate system.
the quadripoint where the boundaries of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona meet
fiat point
zero-dimensional continuant fiat boundary
(Elucidation) A fiat point is a zero-dimensional continuant fiat boundary that consists of a single point
The geographic North Pole; the quadripoint where the boundaries of Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet; the point of origin of some spatial coordinate system
a temporal region that is occupied by a process boundary
right now
the moment at which a child is born
the moment at which a finger is detached in an industrial accident
the moment of death.
temporal instant.
zero-dimensional temporal region
(Elucidation) A zero-dimensional temporal region is a temporal region that is a whole consisting of one or more separated temporal instants as parts
A temporal region that is occupied by a process boundary; the moment at which a finger is detached in an industrial accident
temporally projects onto
(Elucidation) temporally projects onto is a relation between a spatiotemporal region s and some temporal region which is the temporal extent of s
The world line of a particle temporally projects onto the temporal region extending from the beginning to the end of the existence of the particle
located in
b located in c =Def b is an independent continuant & c is an independent & neither is a spatial region & there is some time t such that the spatial region which b occupies at t is continuant part of the spatial region which c occupies at t
continuant part of
b continuant part of c =Def b and c are continuants & there is some time t such that b and c exist at t & b continuant part of c at t
Milk teeth continuant part of human; surgically removed tumour continuant part of organism
has continuant part
b has continuant part c =Def c continuant part of b
Relates an entity in the ontology to the name of the variable that is used to represent it in the code that generates the BFO OWL file from the lispy specification.
Really of interest to developers only
BFO OWL specification label
Relates an entity in the ontology to the term that is used to represent it in the the CLIF specification of BFO2
BFO CLIF specification label
history
(Elucidation) A history is a process that is the sum of the totality of processes taking place in the spatiotemporal region occupied by the material part of a material entity
The life of an organism from the beginning to the end of its existence
environs
contains process
b environs c =Def c occurs in b
Mouth environs process of mastication; city environs traffic
history of
(Elucidation) history of is a relation between history b and material entity c such that b is the unique history of c
This life is the history of this organism
has history
b has history c =Def c history of b
This organism has history this life
specifically depended on by
s-depended on by
b specifically depended on by c =Def c specifically depends on b
Coloured object specifically depended on by colour
specifically depends on
s-depends on
(Elucidation) specifically depends on is a relation between a specifically dependent continuant b and specifically dependent continuant or independent continuant that is not a spatial region c such that b and c share no parts in common & b is of a nature such that at all times t it cannot exist unless c exists & b is not a boundary of c
A shape specifically depends on the shaped object; hue, saturation and brightness of a colour sample specifically depends on each other
The analogue of specifically depends on for occurrents is has participant.
bearer of
b bearer of c =Def c inheres in b
A patch of ink is the bearer of a colour quality; an organism is the bearer of a temperature quality
inheres in
b inheres in c =Def b is a specifically dependent continuant & c is an independent continuant that is not a spatial region & b specifically depends on c
A shape inheres in a shaped object; a mass inheres in a material entity
occupies temporal region
p occupies temporal region t =Def p is a process or process boundary & the spatiotemporal region occupied by p temporally projects onto t
The Second World War occupies the temporal region September 1, 1939 - September 2, 1945
occupies spatiotemporal region
(Elucidation) occupies spatiotemporal region is a relation between a process or process boundary p and the spatiotemporal region s which is its spatiotemporal extent
A particle emitted by a nuclear reactor occupies the spatiotemporal region which is its trajectory
temporal interval
(Elucidation) A temporal interval is a one-dimensional temporal region that is continuous, thus without gaps or breaks
The year 2018.
A one-dimensional temporal region can include as parts not only temporal intervals but also temporal instants separated from other parts by gaps.
temporal instant
(Elucidation) A temporal instant is a zero-dimensional temporal region that has no proper temporal part
The millennium
occupies spatial region
b occupies spatial region r =Def b is an independent continuant that is not a spatial region & r is a spatial region & there is some time t such that every continuant part of b occupies some continuant part of r at t and no continuant part of b occupies any spatial region that is not a continuant part of r at t
spatially projects onto
(Elucidation) spatially projects onto is a relation between some spatiotemporal region b and spatial region c such that at some time t, c is the spatial extent of b at t
has material basis
b has material basis c =Def b is a disposition & c is a material entity & there is some d bearer of b & there is some time t such that c is a continuant part of d at t & d has disposition b because c is a continuant part of d at t
first instant of
t first instant of t' =Def t is a temporal instant & t' is a temporal region t' & t precedes all temporal parts of t' other than t
An hour starting at midnight yesterday has first instant midnight yesterday
has first instant
t has first instant t' =Def t' first instant of t
The first hour of a year has first instant midnight on December 31
last instant of
t last instant of t' =Def t is a temporal instant & t' is a temporal region & all temporal parts of t' other than t precede t
Last midnight is the last instant of yesterday
has last instant
t has last instant t' =Def t' last instant of t
The last hour of a year has last instant midnight December 31
editor preferred term
example of usage
definition
editor note
term editor
In the OTO, we don't follow the definition strictly. We use alternative term for synonyms and ambiguous terms as well. See https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform/ontology/wiki/Handling-ambiguous-terms
alternative term
definition source
curator note
imported from
elucidation
has associated axiom(nl)
has associated axiom(fol)
has axiom label
Road transport is a mode of transport which uses wheeled vehicles on roads.
term tracker annotation
(0002) Carsten Hoyer-Klick (@carstenhoyerklick)
(0004) Eugenio Salvador Arellano Ruiz (@areleu)
The Open Transport Ontology is a dynamic domain ontology for transportation systems modelling, updated regularly following a release cycle. It has been inspired by the Open Energy Ontology (https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform/ontology) which is developed as part of the Open Energy Family (https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform). The OTO is published on GitHub under an open source license. The OTO is constantly being extended. This domain ontology is a collaborative effort to represent the context of transportation system analysis based on standard terminologies used by human experts in the field of research. It is designed to improve transparency and facilitate data integration, comparability and transparency of transport system modelling and scenario analysis. This ontology makes use of the Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) (https://github.com/OpenEnergyPlatform/ontology/wiki/BFO-Upper-Ontology-Classes) and its principles. It reuses several other ontologies.
Cite as: Open Transport Ontology v0.2.0
Temperature is a quality representing the driving force for the flow of heat energy and is a measure of the heat content of a material entity.
temperature
height
granularity
A quantity is a quality of a material entity where the magnitude of the quality can be quantified via a quantity value, which means that it can be expressed as a number and a unit.
quantity
Size is a quantity of an entity that quantifies its spatial extend.
size
width
loudness
conductivity
distance
length
speed
thermal comfort
availability of water
air speed
registration of cars
greenhous gas emissions
emission
immission
traffic flow
person kilometers traveled
national kilometer traveled
exhaust emissions
particle emissions
availability
building type
land use
pulse
trip attributes
size classes
trip purpose
Einstellungen zu
attitudes to
impact
Maut
toll
Trassenentgelte
Track charges
weigthed average cost of capital
equipment cost
Funktionsträger
Officials (?)
A passenger is an agent who travels in a vehicle.
passenger
Agent is a role of a person or organisation that directs its activity towards achieving goals.
agent
Verkehrsteilnehmer (VT) im straßenverkehrsrechtlichen Sinne ist, wer öffentliche Wege, Straßen und Plätze im Rahmen des Gemeingebrauchs benutzt.
Verkehrsteilnehmer
road user (?)
Decision Makers
Transported Good
sound
transport demand
Geräusch
noise
Lärm
exessive noise
A demand is a realizable entity that is characterised by a person, organisation or object needing it for a specific purpose.
demand
charging demand
Belästigung
disturbance
Achslagerbeschleunigungsdaten
roadside weather
multispectral image
origin-destination matrix
Tankbuch
Fuel logbook
image
radar image
ortho photo
demographic data
weather data
meterological data
Raumstrukturdaten
spatial structure data
Analysezertifikate
Axle bearing acceleration data
analysis certificates
Belüftungskonzepte
ventilation concept
DLR Mast without LSA component
A vehicle is a means of transport which is built to transport participants in a journey.
vehicle
An artificial object is an object that was deliberately manufactured by humans to address a particular purpose.
artificial object
An electric vehicle (abbreviated as EV) is a vehicle that uses one or more electric traction motors.
electric vehicle
Mast
Small electric vehicle
road sign
Schienenfahrzeug
train
Standmast
Tram
Anzeigequerschnitt
Messquerschnitt
A truck is a road vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads of perform other utilitarian work.
lorry
truck
A trailer truck is a truck that as an additional trailer.
trailer truck
Fahrgastunterstand
passenger shelter
Sinage
An air vehicle is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air.
air vehicle
A helicopter is a type of air vehicle in which lift and thrust are supplied by spinning rotors.
helicopter
An airplane is a fixed wing air vehicle that flies through the air.
airplane
An Automobile is a road vehicle with a motor and wheels which drives on roads. They primarily transport passengers.
car
automobile
traffic management device
natural object
tree
Nachladeeinrichtung
relaoding mechanism
Underground
Building
A water vehicle is a vehicle that traveling on or in water.
water vehicle
A road vehicle is a vehicle that travels on roads.
road vehicle
A motorcycle is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle.
bike
motorbike
trike
motorcycle
A bicycle is a human powered pedal driven single track road vehicle with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other.
Bike
bicycle
e-bike
A bus is a road vehicle that transports significantly more passengers than an average automobile.
autobus
omnibus
bus
traffic signal
traffic light
Zählstelle
metering point
Barrier
Boardstein
curb
Auslegemast
A population is an aggregate of people in a spatial region.
population
synthetic population
The labour force is the population of people ages 15 and older who supply labour to the production of goods and services. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers
labour force
A rural population is a population living in rural areas, as defined by national statistical offices.
rural population
An urban population is a population living in urban areas, as defined by national statistical offices.
urban population
The working age population is the population of people aged 15 to 65.
working age population
vehicle stock
vehicle fleet
charging infrastructure
railway system
road transport
Settlement
Verkehrsnetz
Transportation network
rail transport
Gleisinfrastruktur
Railway infrastructure
Verkehrsinfrastruktur
Transportation infrastructure
recreational traffic
traffic
passenger traffic
transport
transport of good
long-distrance transport
Bebauung
Built-up land
drivetrain
A portion of matter is an aggregate of material entities that have a state of matter.
portion of matter
A fuel is a portion of matter that has the disposition to be an energy carrier and that has a fuel role.
fuel
aerosol
A model is a continuant to represent a system and its behaviours in a simplified or idealised way.
model
company
Verein
public transport association
digital elevation model
Stadtmodell
urban model
street topography
digital terrain model
surface model
terrain model
traffic scenario
A generically dependent continuant that is about some thing.
information content entity
A scenario is an information content entity that contains statements about a possible future development based on a coherent and internally consistent set of assumptions and their motivation.
scenario
surface model behaviour
An organisation is an immaterial entity that has the organisation role and there exists some sort of legal framework that recognises the entity and its continued existence.
organisation
Bundesamt für Straßenverkehr
BAST
Gleisgeometrie
track geometry
Schienenlängsprofil
Longitudinal rail profile
A transport network component is an artificial object that is part of a transport network.
transport network component
A bridge is a transport network component that spans a physical obstacle without blocking the way underneath.
bridge
A canal is a transport network component that is an artificially created waterway.
canal
A railway is a transport network component that can only be used by trains
railway
A road is a transport network component with an artificial surface that allows transport for road vehicles.
road
A transport hub is a transport network component that allows the exchange of people and/or goods.
transport hub
airport
An airport is a transport hub for airplanes.
bus station
A bus station is a transport hub for busses.
A port is a transport hub for ships.
port
A train station is a transport hub for trains.
train station
Gleisachse
track centerline
mobile cell
Bewegungspfad
object track
Trajektoriendaten
trajectory data
Arbeitsweg
Commute
position
protected areas
A region of relevance is a spatial region that is used in a study or analysis, or is part of spatial planning.
region of relevance
A protected area is a region of relevance that has the protected area role.
protected area
A suitable region is a region of relevance that has the suitable region role.
suitable area
räumlicher interpretations- und Gültigkeitsbereich
spatial scope of interpretation and validity
Cycling path
street
sidewalk
railway track
water way
highway
federal highway
business hours
opening hours
visiting hours
departures
arrivals
stop
wear
Handlungen/Vorgänge bei Luftfahrt, Flughafenwesen
procedures at airports
A mode of transport is a method or way of traveling or of transporting participants in a journey.
mode of transport
Air transport is a mode of transport which uses air vehicles.
aviation
air transport
Water transport is a mode of transport which occurs on or in water.
sea transport
ship transport
water transport
Ground transport is a mode of transport which occurs on a solid surface..
ground transport
non-motorised transport
walk
regional public transport
regional transport
public transport
simulation
A model calculation is a process of solving mathematical equations of a model.
model calculation
data collection
recording
road side accident
Mauterhebung
toll collection
tracking
measurement
observation
surveillance of conditions
survey
vehicle owner survey
maintenance
development
infrastructure development
population development
transport development
Rail transport is a mode of transport which uses wheeled vehicles on rail tracks.
Road transport is a mode of transport which occurs on roads.
Means of transport are transport facilities used to transport participants in a journey.
Means of Transport
A space vehicle is a vehicle that is designed to travel and operate in outer space.
space vehicle
A drone is an vehicle with no human pilot, crew, or passengers on board, but rather is controlled remotely or is autonomous.
drone
An air drone is a drone which flies in the air.
unmanned aircraft system
air drone
A ground drone is a drone which moves along the ground.
unmanned areal vehicle
ground drone
A water drone is a drone which moves in or on water.
water drone
A space drone is a drone which moves in outer space.
space drone
A ship is a water vehicle designed for travel across the surface of a body of water.
boat
waterborn vehicle
ship
A motorised vehicle is a vehicle that uses a motor for propulsion.
motorised vehicle
A trailer is a non-self propelled vehicle that is designed and constructed to be towed by a power driven vehicle.
trailer
query text
The text of a query that is associated with a class
doctrinal definition
A Definition that is taken directly from a Doctrinal Source.
There is only one definition for any given term in an ontology; however, a Doctrinal Definition may be provided in addition to the asserted Definition if the preservation of this information is important. When both a Definition and a Doctrinal Definition are provided for a term, the Definition takes precedence.
ordinal measurement annotation
An ordinal measurement value of an instance of a quality, realizable or process profile
nominal measurement annotation
A nominal measurement value of an instance of a quality, realizable or process profile
term creator
The name of the Term Editor who added the term to the ontology.
content license
The name and description of the license under which the ideas, concepts and other informational content expressed in the .owl file are released.
copyright
An assertion of copyright
doctrinal source
A Definition Source that consists of a formalized doctrine in which the term is authoritatively defined.
measurement annotation
A measurement value of an instance of a quality, realizable or process profile
ratio measurement annotation
A ratio measurement value of an instance of a quality, realizable or process profile
doctrinal label
An Alternative Label that consists of the preferred term or phrase used by a Doctrinal Source to denote the entity.
When the cco:doctrinal_label is identical to the rdfs:label, the cco:doctrinal_label annotation is superfluous. As a subclass of 'alternative label', 'doctrinal label' is intended to be used to provide additional information about the entity when its preferred doctrinal designator is ambiguous or otherwise inappropriate for use as the rdfs:label.
doctrinal acronym
An Acronym that is used by a Doctrinal Source to denote the entity.
has token unit
A relation between an information content entity and a widely used measurement unit of the token used to express it.
acronym
An Alternative Label that consists of a shortened or abbreviated form of the rdfs:label and is used to denote the entity.
A citation of where all or some of the information used to create the term's Definition was acquired from.
interval measurement annotation
A interval measurement value of an instance of a quality, realizable or process profile
designator annotation
A name or other identifier that is used to designate an individual.
http query string
The text of an HTTP request that can be sent to a SPARQL Protocol service.
code license
The name and description of the license under which the .owl file is released.
is curated in ontology
An annotation property that links a class, property, or named individual to the URI of the ontology where it is located.
is tokenized by
A relation between an information content entity and a widely used token used to express it.
The name of a person who contributed to the development or enhancement of the term.
is successor of
A continuant c2 is a successor of some continuant c1 iff there is some process p1 and c1 is an input to p1 and c2 is an output of p1. Inverse of is predecessor.
has process part
x has_process_part y iff x and y are instances of Process, such that y occurs during the temporal interval of x, and y either provides an input to x or receives an output of x, or both.
has object
If p is a process and c is a continuant, then p has object c if and only if p is performed by an agent and c is part of the projected state that agent intends to achieve by performing p.
has all members located in
x has all members located in y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of independent continuant but not a spatial region, and every member of x is located in y.
role of aggregate
x role_of_aggregate y iff y is an instance of Object Aggregate and x is an instance of Role, and x inheres_in_aggregate y.
is cause of
x is_cause_of y iff x and y are instances of Occurrent, and y is a consequence of x.
is disrupted by
inheres in aggregate
x inheres_in_aggregate y iff x is an instance of Specifically Dependent Continuant and y is an instance of Object Aggregate and z is an instance of Object, such that z bearer_of x, and all other members of y are bearers of a unique instance of the same type as x.
is output of
x is_output_of y iff x is an instance of Continuant and y is an instance of Process, such that the presence of x at the end of y is a necessary condition for the completion of y.
caused by
x caused_by y iff x and y are instances of Occurrent, and x is a consequence of y.
disposition of aggregate
x disposition_of_aggregate y iff y is an instance of Object Aggregate and x is an instance of Disposition, and x inheres_in_aggregate y.
has accomplice
A Processual Entity p1 has_accomplice some agent a1 iff a1 assists in the commission of p1, is located at the location of p1, but is not agent_in p1.
has some member located in
x has some member located in y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of independent continuant but not a spatial region, and at least one member of x is located in y.
affects
x affects y iff x is an instance of Process and y is an instance of Continuant, and x influences y in some manner, most often by producing a change in y.
aggregate bearer of
x aggregate_bearer_of y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of Specifically Dependent Continuant and z is an instance of Object, such that z bearer of y, and all other members of x are bearers of a unique instance of the same type as y.
is input of
x is_input_of y iff x is an instance of Continuant and y is an instance of Process, such that the presence of x at the beginning of y is a necessary condition for the start of y.
is site of
x is_site_of y iff x is an instance of Site and y is an instance of Process, such that y occurs in x.
accessory in
y is_accessory_in x iff x is an instance of Process and y is an instance of Agent, such that y assists another agent in the commission of x, and y was not located at the location of x when x occurred, and y was not an agent_in x.
is part of process
x is_part_of_process y iff x and y are instances of Process, such that x occurs during the temporal interval of y, and x either provides an input to y or receives an output of y.
is material of
An object m is material of an object o when m is the material of which o consists and that material does not undergo a change of kind during the creation of o
is temporal region of
t is temporal region of p iff p occupies temporal region t.
Leaving this is in ERO for now since BFO2020 has no inverse of occupies-temporal-region yet.
is affected by
x is_affected_by y iff x is an instance of Continuant and y is an instance of Process, and y influences x in some manner, most often by producing a change in x.
disrupts
A relation where one process disrupts another process from occurring as it would have.
To lower the grade of a process is to lower the quality of a process according to some standard, for example when realizing a capability or a function.
A process can disrupt another process from occurring as it would have by 1) preventing a disposition or role from being realized by that process, 2) lowering the grade of the process, or 3) stopping the process from continuing to occur.
accomplice in
An agent a1 is accomplice_in some Processual Entity p1 iff a1 assists in the commission of p1, is located at the location of p1, but is not agent_in p1.
aggregate has role
x aggregate_has_role y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of Role, such that x aggregate_bearer_of y.
aggregate has quality
x aggregate_has_quality y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of Quality, such that x aggregate_bearer_of y.
occurs at
x occurs_at y iff x is an instance of Process and y is an instance of Site, such that x occurs in y.
has input
y has_input x iff x is an instance of Continuant and y is an instance of Process, such that the presence of x at the beginning of y is a necessary condition for the start of y.
is predecessor of
A continuant c1 is a predecessor of some continuant c2 iff there is some process p1 and c1 is an input to p1 and c2 is an output of p1.
More informally, c1 is a predecessor of c2 iff c1 has been followed or replaced by c2.
process starts
x process_starts y iff x and y are instances of processes, and x is_cause_of y, and i is an instance of a temporal instant, and r is an instant of a temporal interval, and y has starting instance i, and x occurs on r, and r interval contains i.
A process x starts another process y when x causes y while x is still occurring.
is object of
If p is a process and c is a continuant, then c is object of p if and only if the c is part of the projected state that the agent intends to achieve by performing p.
quality of aggregate
x quality_of_aggregate y iff y is an instance of Object Aggregate and x is an instance of Quality, and x inheres_in_aggregate y.
has accessory
x has_accessory y iff x is an instance of Process and y is an instance of Agent, such that y assists another agent in the commission of x, and y was not located at the location of x when x occurred, and y was not an agent_in x.
aggregate has disposition
x aggregate_has_disposition y iff x is an instance of Object Aggregate and y is an instance of Disposition, such that x aggregate_bearer_of y.
inhibits
x inhibits y iff x and y are non-identical Processes, d is a Decrease of Realizable Entity, and x is_cause_of d, and r is a Realizable Entity, and d has_participant r, and r realized_in y.
process started by
x process_started_by y iff x and y are instances of processes, and x is caused_by y, and i is an instance of a temporal instant, and r is an instant of a temporal interval, and x has starting instance i, and y occurs on r, and r interval contains i.
A process x is started by another process y when y causes x while y is still occurring.
inhibited by
y inhibited_by x iff x and y are non-identical Processes, d is a Decrease of Realizable Entity, and x is_cause_of d, and r is a Realizable Entity, and d has_participant r, and r realized_in y.
has output
y has_output x iff x is an instance of Continuant and y is an instance of Process, such that the presence of x at the end of y is a necessary condition for the completion of y.
is made of
An object o is made of an object m when m is the material that o consists of and that material does not undergo a change of kind during the creation of o