SweetDeal: representing agent contracts with exceptions using XML rules, ontologies, and process descriptions

ABSTRACT

SweetDeal is a rule-based approach to representation of business contracts that enables software agents to create, evaluate, negotiate, and execute contracts with substantial automation and modularity. It builds upon the situated courteous logic programs knowledge representation in RuleML, the emerging standard for Semantic Web XML rules. Here, we newly extend the SweetDeal approach by also incorporating process knowledge descriptions whose ontologies are represented in DAML+OIL (emerging standard for Semantic Web ontologies) thereby enabling more complex contracts with behavioral provisions, especially for handling exception conditions (e.g., late delivery or non-payment) that might arise during the execution of the contract. This provides a foundation for representing and automating deals about services -- in particular, about Web Services, so as to help search, select, and compose them. Our system is also the first to combine emerging Semantic Web standards for knowledge representation of rules (RuleML) with ontologies (DAML+OIL) for a practical e-business application domain, and further to do so with process knowledge. This also newly fleshes out the evolving concept of Semantic Web Services. A prototype (soon public) is running.

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods
          Subjects: Representation languages

Additional Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.4 INFORMATION SYSTEMS APPLICATIONS
      H.4.m Miscellaneous

  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.4 Knowledge Representation Formalisms and Methods
          Subjects: Representations (procedural and rule-based)

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Documentation, Economics, Human Factors, Languages, Management, Standardization, Theory

Keywords:
DAML+OIL, OWL, RDF, XML, business process automation, declarative, description logic, electronic commerce, electronic contracts, intelligent software agents, knowledge representation, knowledge-based, logic programs, ontologies, process descriptions, process knowledge, rules, semantic web, semantic web services, web services