Intelligent Agents, Semantic Web, and Linked Data

Intelligent Agents, Semantic Web, and Linked Data

PhD Course at DISI - Department of Computer Science, University of Genova

Introduction

According to the seminal work of T. Berners-Lee, J. Hendler and O. Lassila [1] "The Semantic Web is not a separate Web but an extension of the current one, in which information is given well-defined meaning, better enabling computers and people to work in cooperation."

Linked Data is "simply about using the Web to create typed links between data from different sources. These may be as diverse as databases maintained by two organisations in different geographical locations, or simply heterogeneous systems within one organisation that, historically, have not easily interoperated at the data level. Technically, Linked Data refers to data published on the Web in such a way that it is machine-readable, its meaning is explicitly defined, it is linked to other external data sets, and can in turn be linked to from external data sets" [2].

The course will survey enabling technologies for the semantic web and for linked data, including languages, tools and infrastructures for knowledge representation and rational agents. Indeed, enabling technologies for the semantic web are now enough established to build intelligent applications that take advantage of the semantics associated with web resources. In particular, research on intelligent software agents [3] has now reached a great degree of maturity that makes its exploitation feasible for real applications. The Linked Data, needing to exploit semantic technologies to cope with the messiness of "the web of data", can take advantage of intelligent agents as well.

References

1. T. Berners-Lee, J. Hendler and O. Lassila, The Semantic Web, Scientific American Magazine, May 2001
2. C. Bizer, T. Heath, T. Berners-Lee, Linked Data - The Story So Far, to appear in Special Issue on Linked Data, International Journal on Semantic Web and Information Systems (IJSWIS), http://tomheath.com/papers/bizer-heath-berners-lee-ijswis-linked-data.pdf
3. N. R. Jennings, K. Sycara, M. Wooldridge, A Roadmap of Agent Research and Development, Autonomous Agents and Multi-Agent Systems, Volume 1, Number 1, 1998

Program

• Relationships between Semantic Web Technologies and Intelligent Agents, and between Linked Data and the Semantic Web: an introduction
• Intelligent agents
  • Rational agents
  • Languages, tools and infrastructures for rational agents
• Semantics-aware intelligent agents and web services
  • The FIPA Ontology Agent proposal
  • Extending languages for rational agents with ontological belief bases
  • WADE: merging web services and JADE
• Semantic Web and Ontologies
  • Semantic Web components (Linked Data, Vocabularies, Query, Inference)
  • Ontologies: concepts and definitions, ontology learning, matching and evolution
• Web Services and Semantic Web Services
  • Definitions, Languages and Components
  • Web service orchestration and choreography
• Emerging technologies and Applications/Projects: Semantic web Vertical Applications (some examples) Semantic MediaWiki, Social Semantic Web, Semantic Sensor Web, WebScience etc...
• Linked Data: Definition, enabling technologies, ongoing projects

Material

Bibliography and material for students: forthcoming

Exam

The students will be able to choose among different exam modalities ranging from small projects to seminars, and covering some specific aspects dealt with during the course

Course referents

• Viviana Mascardi (DISI, University of Genova), email: mascardi@disi.unige.it
• Laura Papaleo (ICT Department, Province of Genova), email: papaleo@disi.unige.it

 

Focus :: News

Course program is online.

Course Content

» Hours: 12

When & Where

Location: DISI, University of Genova (room to be defined)
Dates: May 16, 17, 18 - 2011

• Mon May 16: 9.30-12.00 - 13.30-15.30
• Tue May 17: 9.30-12.00 - 13.30-15.30
• Wed May 18: 9.30-12.30

Registration

Registration is free and requires sending an email to one of the instructors.

Teachers

Viviana Mascardi [homepage|email]
Laura Papaleo [homepage|email]