Building Adaptive Classificators with Topic Maps and XSLT

Using Topic Maps and XSLT for building dynamic taxonomies and customizable catalogs on the Web

http://www.cogx.com

by Nikita Ogievetsky and Vladimir Rodyguin, Cogitech, Inc. nogievet@cogx.com ©Cogitech, Inc.

Case Study

This demonstration includes an image browser developed by Cogitech, Inc., that is able to render a professional graphics taxonomy developed for the Art Images For Professionals catalog.

http://www.offsight.com

Slide # 3

Categorization and Similarity of Complex Systems

"Similarity and categorization are essential to thought.

Dividing world into categories underlines all forms of cognition.

Similarity judgements guide the formation of analogies, and mold the structure of memory."

-- Ben Goertzel and Michael Kalish

Slide # 4

Prototype Based Ontology

" Ontology whose categories are distinguished by typical instances or prototypes rather than by axioms and definitions in logic."

--John F. Sowa

Slide # 5

Person A says

"This girl looks just like her father."

What does A mean?

Color of the eyes
Shape of the nose

They look alike in the context of eye-color and nose-shape property flavors (values).

Slide # 6

Person B says

"No, this girl looks just like her mother."

What does B mean?

Shape of the eyes
Tone of her voice

They look alike in the context of eye-shape and voice-tone properties property flavors (values).

Slide # 7

Classification channel: Bouquet of property flavors

Eye Shape Property Bouquet
Hair Color Property Bouquet
Nose Shape Property Bouquet
Voice Tone Property Bouquet

Property Bouquets consist of flavors.

Slide # 8

Topic Map Model

The association of type similarity between Mother and Daughter in the scope of the curvy-eye-ness flavor of the eyes-shape property bouquet.

<topic id="curvy-eye-ness" types="eyes-shape">
	<topname><basename>Curvy Eyes</basename></topname>
</topic>

<assoc type= "similarity" scope="curvy-eye-ness">
	<assocrl href="#Laura"/>
	<assocrl href="#Ann"/>
</assoc>

Slide # 9

XTM Syntax

<topic id="curvy-eye-ness">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#eyes-shape"/></instanceOf>
  <baseName><baseNameString>Curvy Eyes</baseNameString></baseName>
</topic>

<association id="aa11">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#similarity"/></instanceOf>
  <scope><topicRef xlink:href = "#curvy-eye-ness"/></scope>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#Laura"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#Ann"/></member>
</association>

Slide # 10

Simile

"A simile is a direct, expressed comparison between two things essentially unlike, but resembling each other in at least one aspect."

-- A Handbook of Rhetorical Devices. Robert Harris, Vanguard University of Southern California

Slide # 11

Francis Bacon

"And money is like muck, not good except it be spread. "

<topic id="can-be-spread">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#usefulness"/></instanceOf>
  <baseName><baseNameString>Can be spread</baseNameString></baseName>
</topic>

<association id="aa11">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#simile"/></instanceOf>
  <scope><topicRef xlink:href = "#can-be-spread"/></scope>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#money"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#muck"/></member>
</association>

Slide # 12

Shakespeare, Sonnet CXLVII

"My love is as a fever, longing still

For that which longer nurseth the disease. "

<topic id="longing-still">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#duration"/></instanceOf>
  <baseName><baseNameString>longing still</baseNameString></baseName>
</topic>

<association id="shakespeare-love">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#love"/></instanceOf>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#shakespeare-author"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#shakespeare-beloved"/></member>
</association>

<association id="aa11">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#simile"/></instanceOf>
  <scope><topicRef xlink:href = "#longing-still"/></scope>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#shakespeare-love"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#fever"/></member>
</association>

Slide # 13

Bouquet of use types flavors

Corners
Vignettes
Dingbats
Cartouches, etc.

Slide # 14

Bouquet of element base flavors

Floral
Animal
Majestic
Plant, etc.

Slide # 15

Bouquet of shape flavors

Leading Square
Leading Circle
Leading Triangle
Supplement Square, etc.

Slide # 16

Other classification channels / bouquets

Style
- Baroque
- Gothic, etc.
Historical or cultural themes
Color pallets
Techniques used in drawing
Geography and Origin, etc.

Special case:

Classification based on occurrences of distinguishable graphical elements.

Slide # 17

Library of Congress Classification

Slide # 18

Dynamic Context

As one navigates through a context tree, the range of related objects gets narrower.

An artist interested in red images to adorn his artwork:

Red => people => events => revolutions

A historian writing about artifacts of revolution:

revolutions => murder => red

One can navigate to the same range of objects following different context paths.

Slide # 19

Requirements

Combinations of classification bouquets can form vertical taxonomies that are important within a context of a particular person or science.

Requirement: let users sculpt taxonomy trees for their particular needs.

Allow classification channels selection
Allow classification channels ordering

Slide # 20

Sculpting trees from bouquets

bouquet A+bouquet B = context tree 1

bouquet B+bouquet A= context tree 2

Slide # 21

Scoping Topics: bouquets/channel flavors

Property values/patterns define context within which topics are similar.

Two images can participate in association of being similar to each other in the scope some property ( channel ) value (flavor).

Under development:

Extend bouquets of flavors to trees
Superimpose flavored sub-trees and bouquets when customizing taxonomy

Slide # 22

Sculpting trees from flavored sub-trees

tree + tree = baobab

Slide # 23

Topics: Classified Items

<topic id="corn005" types="image">
	<topname>
		<basename>Corn005</basename>
	</topname>
	<occurs>
		<locator href="thumbnails\corn005.gif" type="thumbnail"/>
		<locator href="corn005.gif" type="full-size"/>
	</occurs>
</topic>

Slide # 24

XTM Syntax

<topic>
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#image"/></instanceOf>
  <subjectIdentity><resourceRef xlink:href = "corn005.gif"/></subjectIdentity>
  <baseName>
    <baseNameString>Corn005</baseNameString>
    <variant>
      <parameters><topicRef xlink:href = "#thumbnail"></parameters>
      <variantName><resourceRef xlink:href = "thumbnails\corn005.gif"/></variantName>
    </variant>
  </baseName>>
</topic>

Slide # 25

Topics: bouquet/channel definitions

<topic types="channel" id="shape">
	<topname>
	    <basename>Shape</basename>
	</topname>
</topic>

<topic id="circle-leading" types="shape">
	<topname>
	    <basename>Leading Circle</basename>
	</topname>
</topic>

Slide # 26

XTM Syntax

<topic id="shape">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#channel"/></instanceOf>
  <baseName>
    <baseNameString>Shape</baseNameString>
  </baseName>>
</topic>

<topic id="circle-leading">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#shape"/></instanceOf>
  <baseName>
    <baseNameString>Leading Circle</baseNameString>
  </baseName>>
</topic>

Slide # 27

Associations: simile

<assoc type= "similarity" scope="circle-leading">
		<assocrl href="dingbat6"/>
		<assocrl href="corner7"/>
		<assocrl href="headpiece1"/>
		<assocrl href="dingbat5"/>
</assoc>

Slide # 28

XTM Syntax

<association id="similarity123">
  <instanceOf><topicRef xlink:href = "#similarity"/></instanceOf>
  <scope><topicRef xlink:href = "#circle-leading"/></scope>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#dingbat6"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#corner7"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#headpiece8"/></member>
  <member><topicRef xlink:href = "#dingbat5"/></member>
</association>

Slide # 29

Facets: Sculpting Trees

Color => Theme => Shape => Drowing Style

<facet type="search-order">
	<fvalue type="color" href="na" facetval="0"/>
	<fvalue type="theme" href="na" facetval="1"/>
	<fvalue type="shape" href="na" facetval="2"/>
	<fvalue type="style" href="na" facetval="3"/>
</facet>

Shape : Leading Circle => Usage : Dingbat => Graphical Elements

<facet type="search-order">
	<fvalue type="shape" href="leading-circle" facetval="0"/>
	<fvalue type="usage" href="dingbat" facetval="1"/>
	<fvalue type="elements" href="na" facetval="2"/>
</facet>

Slide # 30

Conclusions

Building Adaptive Classificators with Topic Maps and XSLT framework offers unique solutions for building dynamic taxonomies and customizable catalogs on the Web.

Sourcecode of Adaptive Classificators is a Topic Map document - network, not a hierarchy!

Adaptive Classificators framework:

Allows to derive and maintain unlimited number of customized hierarchical taxonomies based on usage patterns!
Provides facilitated maintenance and extensibility of classification channels - bouquets and flavors.
Easily merge-able with other topic map based taxonomies.
Facilitated presentation and style maintenance : stylesheets can be shared by different web sites.
XSLT rendering and thus: write once render anywhere.