Using a Description Logic with Concept Inclusions

Papers Submitted to the Workshop

The GALEN project is constructing a conceptual schema for medical terminology using a Description Logic (DL) which supports transitive roles and general concept inclusions. Tableaux calculus subsumption testing algorithms for such a DL are well understood but serious worst case intractability would appear to limit their practical applicability. However by using heuristic speedup techniques adapted from constraint satisfaction problem solving procedures it is possible to dramatically improve performance with a realistic knowledge base.