]> Basic Formal Ontology (BFO) Holger Stenzhorn Andrew Spear Pierre Grenon Alan Ruttenberg Institute for Formal Ontology and Medical Information Science (IFOMIS) http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0 &base; application/rdf+xml en Barry Smith: "Against Fantology" Barry Smith: "Beyond Concepts: Ontology as Reality Representation" Pierre Grenon and Barry Smith: "SNAP and SPAN: Towards Geospatial Dynamics" Pierre Grenon, Barry Smith and Louis Goldberg: "Biodynamic Ontology: Applying BFO in the Biomedical Domain" Barry Smith and Pierre Grenon: "The Cornucopia of Formal Ontological Relations" Barry Smith: "Basic Tools of Formal Ontology" Pierre Grenon: "Spatio-temporality in Basic Formal Ontology: SNAP and SPAN, Upper-Level Ontology, and Framework for Formalization" Pierre Grenon: "BFO in a Nutshell: A Bi-categorial Axiomatization of BFO and Comparison with DOLCE" Pierre Grenon: "Nuts in BFO's Nutshell: Revisions to the Bi-categorial Axiomatization of BFO" 1.0 entity continuant Definition: An entity [bfo:Entity] that exists in full at any time in which it exists at all, persists through time while maintaining its identity and has no temporal parts. Examples: a heart, a person, the color of a tomato, the mass of a cloud, a symphony orchestra, the disposition of blood to coagulate, the lawn and atmosphere in front of our building Synonyms: endurant dependent_continuant Definition: A continuant [snap:Continuant] that inheres in or is borne by other entities. Examples: the mass of a cloud, the smell of mozzarella, the liquidity of blood, the color of a tomato, the disposition of fish to decay, the role of being a doctor, the function of the heart to pump blood Synonyms: property, trope, mode disposition Definition: A realizable entity [snap:RealizableEntity] that essentially causes a specific process or transformation in the object [snap:Object] in which it inheres, under specific circumstances and in conjunction with the laws of nature. A general formula for dispositions is: X (object [snap:Object] has the disposition D to (transform, initiate a process) R under conditions C. Examples: the disposition of vegetables to decay when not refrigerated, the disposition of a vase to brake if dropped, the disposition of blood to coagulate, the disposition of a patient with a weakened immune system to contract disease, the disposition of metal to conduct electricity. fiat_object_part Definition: An independent continuant [snap:IndependentContinuant] that is part of an object [snap:Object] but is not demarcated by any physical discontinuities. Examples: upper and lower lobes of the left lung, the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the body, the east side of Saarbruecken, the lower right portion of a human torso Synonyms: fiat substance part function Definition: A realizable entity [span:RealizableEntity] the manifestation of which is an essentialy end-directed activity of a continuant [span:Continuant] entity in virtue of that continuant [span:Continuant] entity being a specific kind of entity in the kind or kinds of contexts that it is made for. Examples: the function of a birth canal to enable transport, the function of the heart in the body to pump blood, the function of reproduction in the transmission of genetic material, the digestive function of the stomach to nutriate the body, the function of a hammer to drive in nails, the function of a computer program to compute mathematical equations, the function of an automobile to provide transportation, the function of a judge in a court of law independent_continuant Definition: A continuant [snap:Continuant] that is a bearer of quality [snap:Quality] and realizable entity [snap:RealizableEntity] entities, in which other entities inhere and which itself cannot inhere in anything. Examples: an organism, a heart, a leg, a person, a symphony orchestra, a chair, the bottom right portion of a human torso, the lawn and atmosphere in front of our building Synonyms: substantial entity object Definition: A independent continuant [span:IndependentContinuant] that is spatially extended, maximally self-connected and self-contained (the parts of a substance are not separated from each other by spatial gaps) and possesses an internal unity. The identity of substantial object [snap:Object] entities is independent of that of other entities and can be maintained through time and through loss and gain of parts and qualities. Examples: an organism, a heart, a chair, a lung, an apple Synonyms: substance object_aggregate Definition: An independent continuant [snap:IndependentContinuant] that is a mereological sum of separate object [snap:Object] entities and possesses non-connected boundaries. Examples: a heap of stones, a group of commuters on the subway, a collection of random bacteria, a flock of geese, the patients in a hospital Synonyms: substance aggregate object_boundary Definition: An independent continuant [span:IndependentContinuant] that is a lower dimensional part of a spatial entity, normally a closed two-dimensional surface. Boundaries are those privileged parts of object [span:Object] entities that exist at exactly the point where the object [span:Object] is separated off from the rest of the existing entities in the world. Examples: the surface of the skin, the surface of the earth, the surface of the interior of the stomach, the outer surface of a cell or cell wall Synonyms: substance boundary Comment: Boundaries are theoretically difficult entities to account for, however the intuitive notion of a physical boundary as a surface of some sort (whether inside or outside of a thing) will generally serve as a good guide for the use of this universal. one_dimensional_region Definition: A spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] with one dimension. Examples: the part of space that is a line stretching from one end of absolute space to the other, an edge of a cube-shaped part of space quality Definition: A dependent continuant [span:DependentContinuant] that is exhibited if it inheres in an entity or entities at all (a categorical property). Examples: the color of a tomato, the ambient temperature of air, the circumference of a waist, the shape of a nose, the mass of a piece of gold, the weight of a chimpanzee realizable_entity Definition: A dependent continuant [span:DependentContinuant] that inheres in continuant [span:Continuant] entities and are not exhibited in full at every time in which it inheres in an entity or group of entities. The exhibition or actualization of a realizable entity is a particular manifestation, functioning or process that occurs under certain circumstances. Examples: the role of being a doctor, the function of the reproductive organs, the disposition of blood to coagulate, the disposition of metal to conduct electricity role Definition: A realizable entity [span:RealizableEntity] the manifestation of which brings about some result or end that is not essential to a continuant [span:Continuant] in virtue of the kind of thing that it is but that can be served or participated in by that kind of continuant [span:Continuant] in some kinds of natural, social or institutional contexts. Examples: the role of a person as a surgeon, the role of an artificial heart in pumping blood, the role of a chemical compound in an experiment, the role of a drug in the treatment of a disease, the role of a patient relative as defined by a hospital administrative form, the role of a woman as a legal mother in the context of system of laws, the role of a biological grandfather as legal guardian in the context of a system of laws, the role of a tree in maintaining stability in an ecosystem, the role of ingested matter in digestion site Definition: An independent continuant [snap:IndependentContinuant] consisting of a characteristic spatial shape in relation to some arrangement of other continuant [span:Continuant] entities and of the medium which is enclosed in whole or in part by this characteristic spatial shape. Site [span:Site] entities are entities that can be occupied by other continuant [span:Continuant] entities. Examples: a city, a nasal cavity, a blood vein, an environment, sinuses, canals, ventricles, the lumen of the gastrointestinal tract, the location of the battle of Austerlitz, the interior of the aorta, the room in which one is located, the top of one's desk including the things that are on it and the atmosphere surrounding them. Comment: Site [snap:Site] entities should not be confused with spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] entities. Site [snap:Site] entities characteristically have a filling or medium and are capable of altering their spatial location (moving from one spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] to another) without altering their identity. spatial_region Definition: An independent continuant [snap:IndependentContinuant] that is neither bearer of quality [span:Quality] entities nor inheres in any other entities. Examples: the sum total of all space in the universe, parts of the sum total of all space in the universe Comment: Spatial region [span:spatialRegion] entities should not be confused with sites. Spatial region [span:spatialRegion] entities exist as parts of pure or absolute space, have a dimensionality and a shape but require no filling in order to exist and are also immobile. three_dimensional_region Definition: A spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] with three dimensions. Examples: a cube-shaped part of space, a sphere-shaped part of space two_dimensional_region Definition: A spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] with two dimensions. Examples: the surface of a cube-shaped part of space, the surface of a sphere-shaped part of space, the surface of a rectilinear planar figure-shaped part of space zero_dimensional_region Definition: A spatial region [snap:SpatialRegion] with no dimensions. Examples: a point connected_spatiotemporal_region Definition: A spatiotemporal region [span:SpatiotemporalRegion] that has temporal and spatial dimensions such that all points within the spatiotemporal region are mediately or immediately connected to all other points within the same spatiotemporal region [span:SpatiotemporalRegion]. Examples: the spatial and temporal location of an individual organism's life, the spatial and temporal location of the development of a fetus connected_temporal_region Definition: A temporal region [span:TemporalRegion] every point of which is mediately or immediately connected with every other point of which. Examples: the 1970s years, the time from the beginning to the end of a heart attack, the time taken up by cellular meiosis fiat_process_part Definition: A processual entity [span:ProcessualEntity] that is part of a process but that does not have bona fide beginnings and endings corresponding to real discontinuities. Examples: chewing during a meal, the middle part of a rainstorm, the worst part of a heart-attack, the most interesting part of Van Gogh's life occurrent Definition: An entity [bfo:Entity] that has temporal parts and that happens, unfolds or develops through time. Sometimes also called perdurants. Examples: the life of an organism, a surgical operation as processual context for a nosocomical infection, the spatiotemporal context occupied by a process of cellular meiosis, the most interesting part of Van Gogh's life, the spatiotemporal region occupied by the development of a cancer tumor Synonyms: perdurant process Definition: A processual entity [span:ProcessualEntity] that is a maximally connected spatiotemporal whole and has bona fide beginnings and endings corresponding to real discontinuities. Examples: the life of an organism, the process of sleeping, the process of cell-division process_aggregate Definition: A processual entity [span:ProcessualEntity] that is a meriological sum of process [span:Process] entities and possesses non-connected boundaries. Examples: the beating of the hearts of each of seven individuals in the room, the playing of each of the members of an orchestra, a process of digestion and a process of thinking taken together process_boundary Definition: A processual entity [span:ProcessualEntity] that is the fiat or bona fide instantaneous temporal process boundary. Examples: birth, death, the forming of a synapse, the onset of REM sleep, the detaching of a finger in an industrial accident, the final separation of two cells at the end of cell-division, the incision at the beginning of a surgery processual_context Definition: An occurrent [span:Occurrent] consisting of a characteristic spatial shape inhering in some arrangement of other occurrent [span:Occurrent] entities. Processual context [span:ProcessualContext] entities are characteristically entities at or in which other occurrent [span:Occurrent] entities can be located or occur. Examples: a surgical operation as processual context for a nosocomical infection, a routine check-up as processual context for the finding of a tumor, a clinical trial as processual context for the discovery of a new treatment or drug Comment: setting processual_entity Definition: An occurrent [span:Occurrent] that exists in time by occurring or happening, has temporal parts and always involves and depends on some entity. Examples: the life of an organism, the process of meiosis, the course of a disease, the flight of a bird scattered_spatiotemporal_region Definition: A spatiotemporal region [span:SpatiotemporalRegion] that has spatial and temporal dimensions and every spatial and temporal point of which is not connected with every other spatial and temporal point of which. Examples: the space and time occupied by the individual games of the World Cup, the space and time occupied by the individual liaisons in a romantic affair scattered_temporal_region Definition: A temporal region [span:TemporalRegion] every point of which is not mediately or immediately connected with every other point of which. Examples: the time occupied by the individual games of the World Cup, the time occupied by the individual liaisons in a romantic affair spatiotemporal_instant Definition: A connected spatiotemporal region [span:ConnectedSpatiotemporalRegion] at a specific moment. Examples: the spatiotemporal region occupied by a single instantaneous temporal slice (part) of a process spatiotemporal_interval Definition: A connected spatiotemporal region [span:ConnectedSpatiotemporalRegion] that endures for more than a single moment of time. Examples: the spatiotemporal region occupied by a process or by a fiat processual part spatiotemporal_region Definition: An occurrent [span:occurrent] at or in which processual entities can be located. Examples: the spatiotemporal region occupied by a human life, the spatiotemporal region occupied by the development of a cancer tumor, the spatiotemporal context occupied by a process of cellular meiosis Comment: This is the time and space within which occurrent [span:Occurrent] entities exist. Occurrent [span:Occurrent] entities exist in space and time in a different way from that in which continuant [span:Continuant] entities do and thus the space and time in which they exist is itself different. The importance of spatiotemporal region [span:SpatiotemporalRegion] is primarily theoretical and it will not be used often in most domain ontology applications. temporal_instant Definition: A connected temporal region [span:ConnectedTemporalRegion] comprising a single moment of time. Examples: right now, the moment at which a finger is detached in an industrial accident, the moment at which a child is born, the moment of death temporal_interval Definition: A connected temporal region [span:ConnectedTemporalRegion] lasting for more than a single moment of time. Examples: any continuous temporal duration during which a process occurs temporal_region Definition: An occurrent [span:Occurrent] that is part of time. Examples: the time it takes to run a marathon, the duration of a surgical procedure, the moment of death Comment: This is the time that is common to both SNAP and SPAN entities. The time of temporal region [span:TemporalRegion] and its sub-classes will normally be the time that should be referred to when sub-classing universals having to do with time in an ontology.