Author: Matthew Horridge
The University Of Manchester
Bio-Health Informatics Group
Date: 23-Jul-2007
This composite change will convert a primitive class to a defined class by replacing subclass
axioms where the class in question is on the left hand side of the subclass axiom to an
equivalent classes axiom which makes the class equivalent to the intersection of its superclasses.
More formally, given a class A, a set of ontologies S, and a target targetOntology T, for each targetOntology
O in S, subclass axioms whose LHS is A will be removed from O. The superclasses from these axioms
will be combined into an intersection class which will be made equivalent to A using an equivalent
classes axioms E. E will be added to the target targetOntology T.
This composite change supports the pattern of working where a primitive class is converted to
a defined class - functionality which is usually found in editors.