Formal Concept Analysis: Mathematical Foundations

ISBN-13: 9783540627715 / Angielski / Miękka / 1998 / 284 str.

Bernhard Ganter; R. Wille;Ganter

Opis

Formal Concept AllalY.5is is a field of applied mathematics based on the math ematization of concept and conceptual hierarchy. It thereby activates math ematical thinking for conceptual data analysis and knowledge processing. The underlying notion of "concept" evolved early in the philosophical theory of concepts and still has effects today. For example, it has left its mark in the German standards DIN 2: )30 and DIN 2;3: )1. In mathematics it played a special role during the emergence of mathematical logic in the 19th century. Subsequently, however, it had virtually no impact on mathematical thinking. It was not until 1979 that the topic was revisited and treated more thoroughly. Since then, through a large number of contributions, Formal Concept Analysis has obtained such breadth that a systematic presentation is urgently needed, but can no longer be realized in one volume. Therefore, the present book foruse: ': on the mathematical foundations of Formal Concept Analysis, which ran be regarded chiefly as a branch of ap plied lattice theory. A series of examples serves to demonstrate the utility of the lnathematical definitions and results; in particular, to show how Formal Concept Analysis can be used for the conceptual unfolding of data contexts. These examples do not play the role of case studies in data analysis. A is intended for a comprehensive treatment of methods of separate volume conceptual data and knowledge processing. The general foundations of For mal Concept Analysis will also be treated separately."

Spis treści

0. Order-theoretic Foundations.- 0.1 Ordered Sets.- 0.2 Complete Lattices.- 0.3 Closure Operators.- 0.4 Galois Connections.- 0.5 Hints and References.- 1. Concept Lattices of Contexts.- 1.1 Context and Concept.- 1.2 Context and Concept Lattice.- 1.3 Many-valued Contexts.- 1.4 Context Constructions and Standard Scales.- 1.5 Hints and References.- 2. Determination and Representation.- 2.1 All Concepts of a Context.- 2.2 Diagrams.- 2.3 Implications between Attributes.- 2.4 Dependencies between Attributes.- 2.5 Hints and References.- 3. Parts and Factors.- 3.1 Subcontexts.- 3.2 Complete Congruences.- 3.3 Closed Subrelations.- 3.4 Block Relations and Tolerances.- 3.5 Hints and References.- 4. Decompositions of Concept Lattices.- 4.1 Subdirect Decompositions.- 4.2 Atlas-decompositions.- 4.3 Substitution.- 4.4 Tensorial Decompositions.- 4.5 Hints and References.- 5. Constructions of Concept Lattices.- 5.1 Subdirect Product Constructions.- 5.2 Gluings.- 5.3 Local Doubling.- 5.4 Tensorial Constructions.- 5.5 Hints and References.- 6. Properties of Concept Lattices.- 6.1 Distributivity.- 6.2 Semimodularity and Modularity.- 6.3 Semidistributivity and Local Distributivity.- 6.4 Dimension.- 6.5 Hints and References.- 7. Context Comparison and Conceptual Measurability.- 7.1 Automorphisms of Contexts.- 7.2 Morphisms and Bonds.- 7.3 Scale Measures.- 7.4 Measurability Theorems.- 7.5 Hints and References.- References.

Blurb

This is the first textbook on formal concept analysis. It gives a systematic presentation of the mathematical foundations and their relations to applications in computer science, especially in data analysis and knowledge processing. Above all, it presents graphical methods for representing conceptual systems that have proved themselves in communicating knowledge. Theory and graphical representation are thus closely coupled together. The mathematical foundations are treated thoroughly and illuminated by means of numerous examples. Since computers are being used ever more widely for knowledge processing, formal methods for conceptual analysis are gaining in importance. This book makes the basic theory for such methods accessible in a compact form.