A Reconstruction of Conceptual Graphs on Top of a Production System

In this paper, we study how several aspects of the Conceptual Graph theory can be implemented using the pattern-matching mechanisms of production systems. Usually, standard pattern matching applies to arbitrary data that, unlike CGs, do not rely on a particular theory. Reconstructions of Conceptual Graphs in terms of basic graphs have been proposed in the literature. We show that K, a graph representation language with “high-level” (rule-based) graph manipulation facilities, allows an elegant implementation of these proposals. We show how the CG projection is reconstructed from standard pattern matching. Such a mechanism provides the user with graph retrieval facilities. Moreover, K's inherent features, such as forward reasoning rules, are gracefully transferred to the resulting CG implementation with no further effort. The result is a production system that operates within the CG theory thus providing the basis for a flexible CG processor.