measurement data

Proposed changes/ additions to ontology:

to be added to the imports: BFO_0000034 (function - subclass of disposition)
new classes:

label: model 
exact synonym: model function
definition: 
  A function which inheres in a bearer and is realised when that bearer allows to estimate the existence, identity, properties, or behaviours of an entity.
comment:     
  The bearer might be material entities such as a scale model of a car, or a generically dependent continuant such as a mathematical formula that models  
  a process. The estimation of properties may be in past (e.g. estimation of the temperature during the big bang), present (estimation of the proportions 
  of a car through a scale model, or the prediction of a parameter based on others) or the future (estimation of a neurons membrane potential in a network). 
  Colloquially the entities that bear the model function are often referred to as "the model". Colloquially the term model is also used as a verb in order 
  to express the process of (computational) modelling, e.g. "i am going to model phenomenon xyz")
  Models are often an abstraction of the entity that they represent. A differential equation can be used to simulate the membrane potential 
  of a neuron over time while the spatial extend and complexity of the neuron itself is reduced to a point process. Further models highly depend on input 
  parameters partly determining the behavior of the model and as such are often loaded with assumptions. In that sense the model output is an estimation 
  that can be interpreted by an agent in order to infer or indicate information about another entity (i.e. existence or else).

label: computational model 
exact_synonym: computational model function
definition: 
  A model which is formalised in order to be executed or resolved.
comment:
  The bearer of the computational model might be a mathematical formula such as a differential equation (e.g. predicting dynamics of a parameter over some dimension 
  such as time). A model may be used in a process such as a computational modelling to generate simulation data.
axioms: 
  - 'is used in' of some 'computational modelling'

label: computational modelling
exact_synonym: simulation
definition: 
  A planned process during which a computational model is executed or resolved to estimate the existence, identity, properties 
  or behaviour of an entity. 
axioms: 
  - 'uses' some 'computational model'
  - 'has_specified_output' some 'simulation datum'

label: simulation datum
exact_synonym: 
  - simulational data 
broad_synonym: 
  - computational data 
  - computation data 
definition: 
  a quantitative datum which is the output of computational modelling 
axioms: 
  - 'is output' of some 'computational modelling'
  - subclassOf 'quantitative datum' U 'subject datum'

label: measurement process
definition: a quantification process during which the quantified signifier of a quality stems from an independent continuant.
comment: This class is created to differentiate quantification processes in real-world entities that can be measured (i.e. with a 
         tape measure, versus these quantification processes that happen during calculations or computational modelling. Independent
         continuants encompass material entities (e.g. physical objects) as well as immaterial entities (e.g. the border of a 
         country).

label: measurement datum
definition: 
  A quantitative datum which is the output of a measurement process. 
axioms: 
  - 'is output' of some 'measurement process'
  - subclassOf 'quantitative datum' U 'subject datum'

Problem statement

Creating a Hub Matter specific extension of the Helmholtz Kernel Information Profile I would like to add a field that classifies the category of data to allow specific searches for measured or simulated data. Here I would need the terms

measurement data
calculation data (could include "simulation data" and "computation data" as childs)

in a controlled vocabulary and I think they could fit in our ontology quite well. Could we implement them?

summary of related discussions:

The following terms with potential significance to this semantic cluster already exist in our ontology:

signifier: A generically dependent continuant which realizes a signifier role. (HDO_00007004)
signifier role: A role which inheres in a generically dependent continuant and is realized when that generically dependent continuant indicates the existence, identity, properties, or behaviours of another entity. (HDO_00007003)
signifier of a quantity: A signifier which is the output of a quantification process. (HDO_00001060)
quantification process: A process during which a signifier of a quality is expressed as a multitude or magnitude. (HDO_00001059)
encoding process: A planned process during which a signifier is represented in a form that can be transmitted and understood by at least one agent. (HDO_00001010)
data typing: A process during which data are assigned to a category in a data type classification system. (HDO_00000008)

The following terms were discussed in CCT7 meetings as adjacent or accessory to the definiton of measurement / modeling data. Not all of these terms might be necessarily required - here i am just listing what has come up so far in discussions.

Agreements so far:

For simulation datum and measurement datum we are somewhat clear that we want to model those as data which is the output of a measurement / simulation process.
there are different types of models such as scale models (e.g. of a house), abstract "thought experiments" (e.g. Schrödingers cat) or abstract/mathematical/computational models (e.g. of the dynamics in a neuron). For the purpose of this ontology we want to focus on the latter one. Once this is implemented we can potentially see how our classes can be generalized to also accommodate the others.

Edited Jun 27, 2023 by Volker Hofmann