Formal properties of net-based knowledge representation schemes

In the spirit of integrating data base and artificial intelligence techniques, a number of concepts widely used in relational data base theory are introduced in a knowledge representation scheme. A simple network model, which allows the representation of types, is-a relationships and disjointness constraints is considered. The concepts of consistency and redundancy are introduced and characterized by means of implication of constraints and systems of inference rules, and by means of graph theoretic concepts.