Semantic network

Semantic network is a network that represents semantic relations between concepts. This is often used as a form of knowledge representation. It is a directed or undirected graph consisting of vertices, which represent concepts, and edges, which represent semantic relations between concepts, mapping or connecting semantic fields.

History

The concept of the Semantic network was introduced in the late 1950s as an attempt to understand and represent knowledge more accurately than was possible with the logical structures then in use. The idea was first proposed by Richard H. Richens of the Cambridge Language Research Unit, as an "Aid to British Council Vocabulary Teaching", in a paper given at the 1956 Mechanical Translation Conference in London.

Structure

A semantic network is composed of nodes representing concepts, and arcs representing relations between concepts. The nodes are often labeled with concepts, but can also be labeled with any object or event. The arcs are labeled with the type of relation between the concepts.

Types of Semantic Networks

There are several types of semantic networks, each with its own unique characteristics and uses. These include:

• Definitional networks emphasize the is-a relationship, linking a concept type to a newly defined subtype.
• Assertional networks are used to make assertions about the world and to represent personal knowledge.
• Implicational networks use implication as the primary relationship among nodes.
• Executable networks include procedural information, such as scripts or plans.

Applications

Semantic networks are used in artificial intelligence where they can aid in solving problems. They are also used in natural language understanding and generation, machine translation, and in the development of user interfaces.

See also

• Knowledge representation and reasoning
• Ontology (information science)
• Conceptual graph
• Mind map

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