Tracking the evolution of concepts in dynamic worlds

Abstract

Technical domains are affected by continuous change as a reflection of technological progress. Correspondingly, concept descriptions of terminological knowledge bases for such domains must be adjusted to these dynamics. In this paper we propose a concept versioning methodology which accounts for the evolutionary adaptation of already established concepts according to the gradual shaping of new standards. The approach is based on the provision of a qualitative progress model for the given domain, measures for the prediction and evaluation of the significance of progress, and a representation and update scheme for concept version management.