Formal Concept Analysis with Many-sorted Attributes
This work addresses a theoretical gap in computer science by bridging two traditions, but it appears incremental as it builds on prior foundational approaches.
The paper tackles the problem of integrating constraint-based reasoning with formal concept analysis by introducing distributed relations as a many-sorted extension, aiming to reveal hidden semantic structures in constraints.
This paper unites two problem-solving traditions in computer science: (1) constraint-based reasoning, and (2) formal concept analysis. For basic definitions and properties of networks of constraints, we follow the foundational approach of Montanari and Rossi. This paper advocates distributed relations as a more semantic version of networks of constraints. The theory developed here uses the theory of formal concept analysis, pioneered by Rudolf Wille and his colleagues, as a key for unlocking the hidden semantic structure within distributed relations. Conversely, this paper offers distributed relations as a seamless many-sorted extension to the formal contexts of formal concept analysis. Some of the intuitions underlying our approach were discussed in a preliminary fashion by Freuder and Wallace.