FROLIO – Formalizable Relationship-Oriented Language-Insensitive Ontology

© Roger M Tagg 2008, 2010

Welcome to FROLIO – a new attempt to merge philosophy and the "semantic web". This website is in process of continuous development.

FROLIO - Categories of Structures

Introduction

Many things that are involved in relationships are not simple - they are compound structures. The simplest structures are unordered collections or one dimensional lists. However in most situations the parts that make up the whole have to interface and fit with each other.

Inevitably, this list is only partial - and currently, still needs more work.

Structure Type List

Major Structure Type Detailed Types Examples

Unordered collection

   
Lucky dip Several red balls in a bag; small prizes in a bran tub at a fair
Unordered set Numbered balls in a bag (e.g. for drawing the next round of the English FA Cup); people waiting at an Australian bus stop

Ordered collection

   
One dimension People waiting at a British bus stop; customers at a supermarket deli counter that issues numbered tickets; football clubs in a league table; line dancers
Two or more dimensions Racing cars on a grand prix grid; eight dancers in a formation; paper notices on a notice board; paintings in an art gallery; towns in a country; planets or stars in the heavens (NB there may be more than one ordering scheme simultaneously!)
Hierarchy Employees (or rather management roles) in an organization structure; parts, sub-assemblies and assemblies in vehicle manufacture (Just as with simple ordering, the same set of parts may be arranged in more than one hierarchy  simultaneously!)

Assembly with interfacing and fitting

   
Physical structure House; motor car; electric shaver; computer; human body
Activity structure Project plan; standard procedure; business process; workflow pattern; computer program; music score; dancers' choreography; cooking recipe
Idea Structure Theory; vision; architect's or engineer's drawing; computer system design
Scenario Structure A "state of affairs"; a "set of conditions"

Links

These link you, the reader, to more details about FROLIO. The core of this website is a set of pages about relationships - links to these are on the first table below. The index in the bottom row points to a set of "diatribes" or opinionated essays, about things the author feels particularly strongly about!

FROLIO home page A simpler introduction to FROLIO The elements of FROLIO The major relationship categories
How FROLIO helps fight Bullshit Index to related essays and diatribes Author's rationale for doing all this A reading list

Explanations of major components in FROLIO

Abstract concepts Activities What we can say about things and concepts What we mean by Context
Why simple hierarchies aren't enough Different types of Ideas Things, concepts, objects and classes Scenarios and "states of affairs"
Different sorts of Structures (this one)      

Some of these links may be under construction – or re-construction.

This version updated on 29th January 2010

If you have constructive suggestions or comments, please contact the author rogertag@tpg.com.au .