Agents and the Semantic Web

Agents and the Semantic Web

PhD Course @DISI, University of Genova (2012)

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
4. Web resource: The Open Data Handbook

Program

• Introduction: Relationships between Semantic Web Technologies and Intelligent Agents, and between Linked Data and the Semantic Web: an introduction

• Part 1: Semantic Web: Technologies, Tools, Applications
  • Knowledge representation techniques: metadata, taxonimies, thesauri, ontologies, folksonomies
  • Structure of an ontology and design of conceptual ontologies
  • Semantic web technologies: RDF, OWL
  • Semantic search and reasoning
  • The Open Linked Data initiative
  • Triple stores, SPARQL
  • Overview of semantic applications and research trends

• Part 2: Intelligents Agents and Semantics-aware intelligent agents
  • 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

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 & DISI, University of Genova), email: papaleo@disi.unige.it

 

Focus :: News

06/12
Location updated: Room 710 @DISI!

03/12
Registration is free! send us an email.

03/12
The program has been updated

02/12
The new web page for the 2012 version of the course is online!

When & Where

Location: DISI, University of Genova (room 710)
Hours: 20
Dates: July 9, 10, 11 - 2012

Day	Morning	Afternoon
Mon Jul, 9	9.30-13.00	14.00-17.10
Tue Jul, 10	9.30-13.00	14.00-17.10
Wed Jul, 11	9.30-13.00	14.00-17.10

Registration

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

Teachers

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