Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Antirigidity

If an individual does not instantiate a given type throughout all possible scenarios in which the individual exists, we call that type antirigid. Compare: Rigidity, Semirigidity. See also Phase, Role, RoleMixin. See more details…

Aspect

Aspect is to be defined here…

B

No term for “B” has been defined yet.

C

Characterization

Characterization is a relation between a bearer type and its feature. Feature is intrinsic (inherent) property of its bearer type, and thus existentially dependent on the bearer. Feature may be stereotyped as «Quality» or «Mode». Feature characterizes a bearer type iff every instance of bearer exemplifies the feature. See also Quality, Mode. See more details…

Collective

It is a whole that has an homogenous internal structure, i.e., all parts are perceived in the same way by the whole (see the MemberOf relation for more details about members of collections). This construct is used to represent rigid concepts that provide an identity principle for their instances. See more details…

ComponentOf Relation, ComponentOf Stereotype

ComponentOf is a parthood relation between two functional complexes, e.g. a car engine is part of a car. See more details…

Containment Relation, Containment Stereotype

Containment is a relation between a container and its contents — a Quantity, e.g. a jar contains beer. See more details…

D

Derivation Relation

Typical case of derivation is a relation between a relator and a material relation. Material relation can be completely derived from the relator and the corresponding mediation relations. Derivation makes the cardinality constraints of the mediation relations collapse. Also, several material relations can be derived from a single relator and its mediation relations. See more details…

E

No term for “E” has been defined yet.

F

Formal Relation, Formal Stereotype

The name Formal is short for Domain Comparative Formal Relation. This construct is used to represent relations that can be reduced to the comparison of the quality values that characterize the related individuals, like heavier-then, younger-then or cheaper-then. See more details…

Functional Complex

Components of different types that participate in a task or purpose constitute functional complex. Components are typically kinds, subkinds, relators, phases, roles, or categories. The complexes (unlike collectives or quantities) have not a uniform structure. See more details…

G

No term for “G” has been defined yet.

H

No term for “H” has been defined yet.

I

Identity

The principle of identity allows to identify the same individual and to distinguish different individuals. Identity is a fundamental ontological notion. See more details…

Individual

See Type. See more details…

J

No term for “J” has been defined yet.

K

Kind

It represents rigid concepts that provide an identity principle for their instances and do not require a relational dependency. As a whole, Kind represents a Functional Complex, i.e., a whole that has parts contributing in different ways to its functionality (see the ComponentOf relation for more details about functional parts). See more details…

L

No term for “L” has been defined yet.

M

Material Relation, Material Stereotype

Material relations are derived from relators and the mediation relations that connect them to the corresponding relata, e.g. employments, kisses, enrollments, flight, connections and commitments. Material relations are always affected with cardinality collapsing by derivation from mediation relations. See more details…

Mediation Relation, Mediation Stereotype

It is a relation between a relator and the entities it connects. Mediation is a type of existential dependence relation (a form of nonfunctional inherence). A relator must mediate at least two distinct individuals. See more details…

MemberOf Relation, MemberOf Stereotype

MemberOf is a parthood relation between a functional complex or a Collective (as a part) and a Collective (as a whole), e.g. a tree is part of forest. See more details…

Mixin

It is a semi-rigid type, i.e., it “behaves” as a rigid type for some individuals and as an anti-rigid one for others (it’s the only stereotype with such feature in OntoUML). As the Category and the RoleMixin, the Mixin meta-class characterizes individuals that follow different identity principles. See more details…

Mode

It is a particular type of intrinsic property (or feature) that has no structured value. Like qualities, Modes are also individuals that existentially depend on their bearers. Types stereotyped as «Mode» are also rigid. See more details…

N

No term for “N” has been defined yet.

O

No term for “O” has been defined yet.

P

Phase

The «Phase» stereotype is used to represent anti-rigid subtypes of identity providers («Kind», «Collective» etc.) that are instantiated by changes in intrinsic properties (e.g. the age of a person, the color of an object, the condition of a car). All instances of a particular «Phase» must follow the same identity principle. Phases always come in partitions (n.b.: partition is complete and disjoint). By default, usage of Pahse does not require a relational dependency. Compare: Role. See more details…

Q

Quality

It is a particular type of intrinsic property (or feature) which has a structured value. Qualities are things that are existentially dependent on the things they characterize, called their bearers. Types stereotyped as «Quality» are also rigid. OntoUML differentiates among three types of qualities: Perceivable (weight, height, color, speed), Non-Perceivable (currency), and Nominal (one’s name, a book’s ISBN, a credit card number). See more details…

QualityDimension, QualityDomain, QualityStructure

Those types allow structuring of qualities. See also Quality, Structuration. See more details…

Quantity

It represents uncountable things, like Water, Clay, or Beer. Quantities are rigid and provide an identity principle for their instances. Quantity represents a maximally topologically connected amount of matter. Quantities only have other quantities as parts (see the SubQuantityOf relation for more details about members of collections). See more details…

R

Relation

Relations are entities that glue together other entities. Every relation has a number of relata as arguments, which are connected or related by it, as an unary property such as being Red, properties of higher arities are e.g. being married-to, being heavier-than. We divide relations into two broad categories, called material and formal relations. See also: Material relation, Formal relation. See more details…

Relator

It represents the truth-maker of material relations, i.e., the “thing” that must exist in order for two or more individuals to be connected by material relation. Because of this nature, relators are always dependent on other individuals to exist. See more details…

Rigidity

If an individual must instantiate a given type throughout all possible scenarios in which the individual exists, we call that type rigid. That means, rigid types define essential characteristics to their instances (Person, Car, Country, Company…) Rigidity is a fundamental ontological meta-property of types. Compare: Antirigidity, Semirigidity. See more details…

Role

It is a construct used to represent anti-rigid specializations of identity providers («Kind», «Quantity», «Relator»…) that are instantiated in relational contexts. All instances of a particular Role must follow the same identity principle. Role is relationally dependent, i.e. every «Role» must be connected, directly or indirectly, to a «mediation» relation. See more details…

RoleMixin

It is the equivalent of Role for types that aggregate instances with different identity principles. A class stereotyped as «RoleMixin» is also an anti-rigid type whose instantiation depends on a relational property (see also Role). See more details…

S

Semirigidity

If an individual may not instantiate a given type throughout all possible scenarios in which the individual exists, we call that type semirigid. Compare: Antirigidity, Rigidity. See also Mixin. See more details…

Structuration

«Structuration» allows structuring Quality. See also Quality. See more details…

SubCollectionOf Relation, SubCollectionOf Stereotype

SubCollectionOf is a parthood relation between two Collectives, e.g. the collection of Jokers in a deck of cards is part of that deck of cards. See more details…

Subkind

It represents rigid specializations of identity providers («Kind», «Collective», «Relator»…) By default, its usage does not require a relational dependency. Compare: Role. See more details…

SubQuantityOf Relation, SubQuantityOf Stereotype

SubQuantityOf is a parthood relation between two Quantities, e.g.: alcohol is part of wine. See more details…

T

Type

Types are abstract things we create to help us perceive and classify the world around us. Types work as bundles of characteristics we can expect to encounter in particular things – the individuals. More general types (or supertypes) can be specialized to subtypes. Types may be instantiated to particular instances, or individuals. Some supertypes (abstract types) cannot be instantiated directly, just their subtypes can. See more details…

U

No term for “U” has been defined yet.

V

No term for “V” has been defined yet.

W

No term for “W” has been defined yet.

X

No term for “X” has been defined yet.

Y

No term for “Y” has been defined yet.

Z

No term for “Z” has been defined yet.

A