RDL-SET: An Expressive Constraint Language for OWL

The term Semantic Web refers to the web of linked data whose semantics can be understood by machines for further automatic process. As an expressive knowledge representation language for Semantic Web, Web Ontology Language (OWL) plays an important role in areas like science and commerce. However, the problem of maintaining integrity constraints arises because OWL employs the Open World Assumption (OWA) as well as the Non-Unique Name Assumption (NUNA). In this study, we formally introduce RDL-SET, a rule-based Description Logic language with set extension. We present its syntax and semantics and also demonstrate its utility by expressing 13 commonly used constraints in this language. RDL-SET can be used as a constraint language to specify most common constraints whose satisfaction is efficient to check. Our goal is to cover practicality and efficiency instead of completeness in ICresearch in OWL.