New Generation Computing, 28(2010)95-109
Ohmsha, Ltd. and Springer
Received 5 June 2009
Revised manuscript received 9 August 2009
In the paper, a problem of semantic integration of XML data in a peer-to-peer agent system is analysed upon a channel theory. In the system, each agent manages its local data, and communication and cooperation actions, executed by the agents, consist of asking and answering queries. The abstract notions of classification and infomorphism are used to clarify the roles of queries and mappings in the system. The query reformulation task is modelled by the composition of an appropriate infomorphisms. In order to specify classifications and infomorphisms executable Prolog-like clauses and generelized terms are used. Logic programming systems are chosen because of the logical variables and partial data representation, effective techniques of data unification and partial evaluation, suitable built-in terms and procedures, and automated reasoning.
Keywords:Declarative Specification, Semantic Data Integration, Peer-topeer System, XML Data, Schema Mapping, Query Rewriting, Information Flow, Channel Theory.