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semantic-webowlontology

In OWL, is possible that a property is the inverse of more than one property?

it is possible that a property has multiple 'inverseOf' characteristic simultaneously? For instance:

<prop1, owl:inverseOf, prop2>
<prop1, owl:inverseOf, prop3>
<prop1, owl:inverseOf, prop4>
Solution

  • There's no problem with asserting that a property p is the inverseOf more than one property, e.g., q, and r. It does mean, however, q and r end up being equivalent. Since

    p inverseOf q
    p inverseOf r

    means that

    p(x,y) implies q(y,x)
    p(x,y) implies r(y,x)
    q(y,x) implies p(x,y)
    r(y,x) implies p(x,y)

    we can infer that

    q(y,x) implies r(y,x)
    r(y,x) implies q(y,x)

    which means that

    q equivalentProperty r