Universal
Knowledge
- How to make up universal
knowledgeHiroshi Uchida
UNDL Foundation
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
Universal Knowledge is
necessary

For humans
To get knowledge about something
in their own language

For computers
To process
something
knowledge
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
to
do
Knowledge

Real world knowledge
 Conceptual knowledge
 World model knowledge

If the response is the same, knowledge
thought to be shared.
 If computers respond to knowledge in
the same manner as humans,
computers share the knowledge with
humans.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
What is a universal
knowledge ?

A collection of every kind of
knowledge.
What is a concept.
How to make it.
How to use it.
What happened.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
What universality means ?

Each concept is universal if it is
accepted by the people (and
computers).

Universal concept does not mean
common concept.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
How to develop Universal
Knowledge ?

It is almost impossible to express a
culture by a different culture because
concept sets are different.
 Using a different set of concept to
contrast a culture is almost impossible.
 It means an artificial language is
necessary.
 This language is used to describe
knowledge.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
UNL
a language for computers

Artificial language (Semantic Network with
Hyper Node)
A node represents a concept
An arc represents a relation
A node can be annotated by attributes

Consists of;
Universal Words:
Relations, Attributes:
Knowledge Base:
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
vocabulary
syntax
semantics
Long ago, in the city of Babylon, the people begun to build a huge
tower, which seemed about to reach the heavens.
long ago
tim
agt
begun
obj
people
huge
agt
aoj
build
tower
obj
plc
obj
city
obj
reach
seemed
obj
mod
gol
Babylon
heaven
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
Long ago, in the city of Babylon, the people begun to build a
huge tower, which seemed about to reach the heavens.
{unl}
tim(begin(agt>thing,obj>thing).@entry.@past,long ago(icl>ago))
mod(city(icl>region).@def,Babylon(icl>city))
plc(begin(agt>thing,obj>thing).@entry.@past,city(icl>region).@def)
agt(begin(agt>thing,obj>thing).@entry.@past,people(icl>person).@def
)
obj(begin(agt>thing,obj>thing).@entry.@past,build(icl>do).@past)
agt(build(agt>thing,obj>thing),people(icl>person).@def)
obj(build(agt>thing,obj>thing),tower(icl>building))
aoj(huge(icl>big),tower(icl>building))
aoj(seem(icl>be).@past,tower(icl>building))
obj(seem(icl>be).@past,reach(icl>come).@begin.@soon)
obj(reach(icl>come).@begin.@soon,tower(icl>building))
gol(reach(icl>come).@begin.@soon,heaven(icl>region).@def.@pl)
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
{/unl}
UNL

A language based on predicates
and arguments.

It is possible to set up inference
mechanism on UNL expression.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
How concepts are
developed ?
Common symbol are necessary to
express concepts.
 Combination of common symbols
restrict meaning.
 Using combination of common
symbols, new concepts can be
developed.

ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
How to develop
concepts ?

Clear developing methodology of
concept
base
on
common
symbols is necessary.
Formal way to develop more
precise
concept
or
new
concepts.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
Universal Word

Vocabulary of the UNL
 Adopt English words as common
symbols for developers
 A UW represents a concept
1) Basic UW
ex)
spring
2) Restricted UW
ex)
spring(icl>tool)
spring(icl>season)
spring(agt>person,obj>person)
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
UNL Knowledge Base

Basic knowledge which constitute the
language is stored in UNLKB by giving
co-occurrence of concepts

UNLKB give a computational basis for
computers.

Based on UNLKB computers can make
basic inference.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
UNL Knowledge Base

Collection of concepts from each
language.

Define every possible relations
between concepts (UWs)
Ex)
dog(icl>mammal)—iclanimal(icl>living thing)
bite(agt>animal,obj>thing)—agt
animal(libing thing)
eat(agt>volitional thing)—obj
food(icl>functional thing)
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
UNL Knowledge Base

UW system (hierarchy) is introduced
for:
1. to generate a word when a concept
is not included in a language
2. to reduce KB entries which can be
deductively inferred
ex)
dog(icl>mammal)—iclmammal (icl>animal)

UNLKB give semantics of UWs
 UNLKB
just
define
knowledge
enough to construct the language.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
UNL Encyclopedia

UNLKB + Description on each concept.
cnt(concept, file name of concept)=1

What is a concept.
 How to make it.
 How to use it.
 What happened.
are described in the UNL.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
How to describe
knowledge ?

Normal description of knowledge
 Term of validity.
 Scene of validity.
 Criteria
for concept related to
evaluation such as adjective concept.

The above information can be
expressed by UNL expression and/or
UNLKB.
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
Inference mechanism
Not so deep but wide.
 Based on UNL
 Inference based on symbol with
logical constraint.

ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India
Semantic Computing
project

A project make computers to process
knowledge like humans to provide
knowledge for humans and to evolve
computers itself.
 Development item
Conceptual Language (UNL)
Semantic encyclopedia.
Inference engine
etc.
 Budget: 140 M$
ICUKL-2002, 25-29 Nov, Goa, India