Rule Engine Ontology

FLOW_ALGEBRA RuleEngineOntology v1.0
TARGET_URL := "https://kirethresearch.org/booksai-core/ontologies/mathematical-ontologies/mathematical-logic-ontologies/knowledge-representation-logic/rule-engine-ontology.html"
LANGUAGE := "en-GB"
DOMAIN := MathematicalOntologies > MathematicalLogicOntologies > KnowledgeRepresentationLogic > RuleEngineOntology

BEGIN_FLOW

ENTITY RuleEngine {
 TYPE := AutomatedRuleEvaluationSystem
 DEFINITION := "A computational reasoning system that evaluates explicit rules against facts, events or working memory to derive conclusions, trigger actions, satisfy goals and maintain rule-governed knowledge."
}
ENTITY Rule { FORM := IF Antecedent THEN Consequent }
ENTITY Fact { TYPE := AssertedOrDerivedKnowledgeItem }
ENTITY WorkingMemory { TYPE := CurrentFactAndStateStore }
ENTITY RuleBase { TYPE := CollectionOfRules }
ENTITY InferenceEngine { TYPE := RuleMatchingSelectionExecutionMechanism }

RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --contains--> RuleBase
RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --uses--> WorkingMemory
RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --uses--> InferenceEngine
RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --evaluates--> Rule
RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --operates_on--> Fact
RELATIONSHIP RuleEngine --supports--> AutomatedReasoning

RULE {
 IDENTIFIER := RuleID
 ANTECEDENT := ConditionSet
 CONSEQUENT := ConclusionOrAction
}
RULE_ANTECEDENT {
 MAY_INCLUDE := {FactPatterns,Comparisons,LogicalConditions,TemporalConditions,ContextConditions}
}
RULE_CONSEQUENT {
 MAY_INCLUDE := {AssertFact,RetractFact,ModifyFact,DeriveConclusion,TriggerAction,RaiseEvent}
}
FACT {
 MAY_BE := {AssertedFact,DerivedFact,EventFact,TemporaryFact}
}
ASSERTED_FACT { ORIGIN := ExternalInputOrKnowledgeBase }
DERIVED_FACT { ORIGIN := RuleApplication }
WORKING_MEMORY { CONTAINS := CurrentFacts }
RULE_BASE { CONTAINS := Rules }

MATCH_SELECT_ACT {
 MATCH := determine_applicable_rule_instances
 SELECT := choose_activations_using_conflict_resolution
 ACT := execute_selected_consequences
}
RULE_MATCHING {
 RuleAntecedent + WorkingMemory -> VariableBindings -> Activation
}
ACTIVATION {
 COMPONENTS := {Rule,Bindings,SupportingFacts,PriorityMetadata}
}
CONFLICT_SET {
 TYPE := SetOfCurrentActivations
}
AGENDA {
 TYPE := OrderedOrManagedActivationSet
}
CONFLICT_RESOLUTION {
 STRATEGIES := {Salience,Priority,Specificity,Recency,RuleOrder,AgendaGroup}
 REQUIRE declared_execution_semantics
}
RULE_ORDER_WARNING {
 source_order MUST_NOT imply logical_priority unless declared
}

FORWARD_CHAINING {
 TYPE := DataDrivenInference
 LOOP {
  MATCH rules
  BUILD conflict_set
  SELECT activation
  FIRE rule
  UPDATE working_memory
 }
 STOP_WHEN := {NoActivations,GoalReached,HaltAction,ResourceLimit}
}
BACKWARD_CHAINING {
 TYPE := GoalDrivenInference
 START := Goal
 FIND rules whose consequents satisfy Goal
 GENERATE antecedent_subgoals
 RECURSE until facts_establish_subgoals_or_failure
}
HYBRID_REASONING {
 ForwardChaining + BackwardChaining
}
RULE_FIRING {
 VERIFY supporting_facts_still_valid
 EXECUTE consequent
 RECORD trace
}
QUIESCENCE {
 conflict_set_empty OR no_eligible_activations
}
LOOP_DETECTION {
 track fired_activations_state_hashes_dependency_cycles
}
TERMINATION {
 REQUIRE no_infinite_firing_sequence_under_strategy
}

VARIABLE {
 symbolic_placeholder bound_during_matching
}
BINDING {
 Variable -> FactValueOrEntity
}
UNIFICATION {
 symbolic_expressions -> substitution -> rule_instance
}
PATTERN_MATCHING {
 FactPattern -> MatchingFacts -> Bindings
}
ALPHA_TEST {
 single_fact_condition
}
BETA_TEST {
 join_condition_across_multiple_facts
}
RETE_ALGORITHM {
 TYPE := IncrementalPatternMatchingAlgorithm
 COMPONENTS := {AlphaNetwork,BetaNetwork,Memories,JoinNodes,TerminalNodes}
 PURPOSE := reuse_partial_matches_across_updates
}
INCREMENTAL_MATCHING {
 changed_fact -> update_only_affected_matches
}

FACT_INSERT {
 add_fact -> update_indexes_matches_activations
}
FACT_UPDATE {
 modify_fact -> invalidate_old_matches -> create_new_matches
}
FACT_RETRACT {
 remove_fact -> invalidate_dependent_activations
}
LOGICAL_INSERT {
 derived_fact associated_with supporting_activation
}
TRUTH_MAINTENANCE {
 support_removed -> retract_dependent_facts
}
JUSTIFICATION {
 DerivedFact -> RuleActivation -> SupportingFacts
}
DEPENDENCY_GRAPH {
 DerivedFact -> SupportingFactsAndRules
}
PROVENANCE {
 Conclusion -> Rule -> Bindings -> SupportingFacts -> SourceFacts
}
RULE_TRACE {
 RECORD := {Step,RuleID,Bindings,SupportingFacts,AgendaState,Consequent,WorkingMemoryChanges}
}
EXPLANATION_FACILITY {
 WHY := supporting_rule_chain
 HOW := ordered_firing_trace
}

MONOTONIC_RULE_ENGINE {
 new_facts do_not_retract_previous_conclusions
}
NONMONOTONIC_RULE_ENGINE {
 new_information MAY retract_or_defeat_conclusions
}
DEFAULT_RULE {
 IF P AND no_exception THEN normally Q
 REQUIRE nonmonotonic_semantics
}
PRIORITY_OVERRIDE {
 higher_priority_rule defeats lower_priority_conflict
 under declared_semantics
}
NEGATION_AS_FAILURE {
 not P := failure_to_match_or_prove_P
 REQUIRE explicit_closed_world_semantics
}
CLASSICAL_NEGATION {
 explicit NOT(P)
}
NEGATION_DISTINCTION {
 NegationAsFailure MUST_NOT be conflated_with ClassicalNegation
}
OPEN_WORLD_RULE_ENGINE {
 missing_fact does_not_imply_false
}
CLOSED_WORLD_RULE_ENGINE {
 missing_or_unprovable_fact MAY be_false
 REQUIRE explicit_semantics
}
RULE_CONFLICT {
 activations derive incompatible_conclusions_or_actions
}
CONFLICT_POLICY {
 MAY_INCLUDE := {PriorityWins,SpecificityWins,DenyOverrides,PermitOverrides,ManualResolution,ParaconsistentHandling}
}

EVENT_DRIVEN_RULE_ENGINE {
 Event -> RuleEvaluation -> ActionOrDerivedEvent
}
EVENT_PATTERN {
 one_or_more_events satisfying temporal_or_structural_condition
}
COMPLEX_EVENT_PROCESSING_RELATIONSHIP {
 event_stream + temporal_patterns -> complex_events
}
TEMPORAL_RULE {
 conditions MAY reference {Before,After,During,Within,Duration,Window}
}
STREAM_REASONING {
 continuous_facts_events -> incremental_rule_evaluation
}

DECISION_RULE {
 Conditions -> Decision
}
DECISION_TABLE {
 condition_combinations -> outcomes
}
BUSINESS_RULE {
 formalises organisational_policy_or_constraint
}
POLICY_RULE {
 Subject + Resource + Action + Context -> PermitOrDenyOrObligation
}
VALIDATION_RULE {
 IF invalid_condition THEN emit_violation
}
CONSTRAINT_RULE {
 restrict admissible_state
}

RULE_ENGINE_VS_CONSTRAINT_SOLVER {
 RuleEngine := condition_action_or_inference_execution
 ConstraintSolver := search_and_propagation_over_variables_domains_constraints
}
RULE_ENGINE_VS_LOGIC_PROGRAMMING {
 RuleEngine := often_production_system_operational_semantics
 LogicProgramming := declarative_clauses_and_goal_resolution
 OVERLAP := TRUE
}
RULE_ENGINE_VS_WORKFLOW {
 RuleEngine := evaluates_declarative_conditions
 Workflow := orchestrates_ordered_process_steps
}
RULE_ENGINE_VS_ONTOLOGY_REASONER {
 RuleEngine := explicit_rule_application
 OntologyReasoner := model_theoretic_entailment
}

HORN_RULE {
 A1 AND ... AND An -> B
}
DATALOG_RELATIONSHIP {
 positive_function_free_rules MAY evaluate_to least_fixed_point
}
LEAST_FIXED_POINT {
 I0 := base_facts
 I(n+1) := I(n) union T_P(I(n))
 STOP when stable
}
PRODUCTION_SYSTEM {
 COMPONENTS := {ProductionRules,WorkingMemory,MatchSelectActEngine}
}
EXPERT_SYSTEM {
 COMPONENTS := {KnowledgeBase,RuleEngine,ExplanationFacility,UserInterface}
}
KNOWLEDGE_GRAPH_RELATIONSHIP {
 graph_facts + graph_rules -> derived_graph_statements
}
ONTOLOGY_RELATIONSHIP {
 ontology_classes_properties MAY provide vocabulary_and_semantics
}
SEMANTIC_WEB_RULE_RELATIONSHIP {
 MAY_INCLUDE := {SWRLStyleRules,RIFStyleRules,DatalogRules}
 REQUIRE language_specific_semantics
}
SWRL_RELATIONSHIP {
 OWL_axioms + Horn_like_rules
 WARNING := unrestricted_combinations_may_affect_decidability
}
RULE_INTERCHANGE {
 SourceRuleLanguage -> IntermediateForm -> TargetRuleLanguage
 REQUIRE semantics_preserved_or_loss_documented
}

RULE_NORMALISATION {
 complex_rule -> canonical_or_engine_specific_form
}
RULE_COMPILATION {
 declarative_rules -> executable_match_network
 REQUIRE semantics_preserved
}
RULE_INDEXING {
 index_by := {FactType,Predicate,Attribute,Consequent,AgendaGroup}
}
CACHE {
 store reusable_match_or_inference_results
}
PARALLEL_RULE_EVALUATION {
 independent_matches MAY evaluate_concurrently
 REQUIRE declared_conflict_semantics
}
DETERMINISM {
 same_inputs_rules_strategy SHOULD yield same_result
 if semantics deterministic
}
SIDE_EFFECT {
 consequent modifies_external_system
 WARNING := repeated_firing_may_not_be_safe
}
TRANSACTION {
 group_rule_changes_into_atomic_commit_or_rollback
}
AUDIT_LOG {
 persistent_record_of_rule_executions_and_changes
}

RULE_VERSION {
 RuleID + Version
}
RULE_LIFECYCLE {
 Draft -> Review -> Approved -> Active -> Deprecated -> Retired
}
RULE_GOVERNANCE {
 includes := {Ownership,Approval,Versioning,Testing,Audit,Deployment}
}
RULE_TEST {
 GIVEN facts
 WHEN engine_runs
 THEN expected_conclusions_or_actions
}
REGRESSION_TEST {
 existing_scenarios SHOULD preserve_expected_results after_changes
}
RULE_STATIC_ANALYSIS {
 CHECK {
  Syntax,UndefinedFacts,UndefinedVariables,UnreachableRules,
  ContradictoryRules,DuplicateRules,Cycles,PriorityConflicts
 }
}
DEAD_RULE {
 rule_can_never_activate
}
REDUNDANT_RULE {
 removal_does_not_change_relevant_outcomes
}
SHADOWED_RULE {
 lower_priority_rule never_wins_under_policy
}
RULE_CYCLE {
 rules recursively_enable_one_another
}
RULE_BASE_AUDIT {
 CHECK {
  RuleIdentifiers,Syntax,Bindings,Priorities,Conflicts,Cycles,
  Reachability,Redundancy,TerminationRisks,Provenance,TestCoverage
 }
}

VERIFY_RULE(R) {
 CHECK identifier
 CHECK antecedent_syntax
 CHECK consequent_syntax
 CHECK variable_bindings
 CHECK side_conditions
 CHECK referenced_fact_types
 RETURN valid_or_failure
}
VERIFY_ACTIVATION(A) {
 CHECK rule_exists
 CHECK supporting_facts_exist
 CHECK bindings_match
 CHECK context
 CHECK priority_metadata
 RETURN valid_or_invalid
}
VERIFY_EXECUTION_TRACE(T) {
 FOR_EACH firing_step:
  VERIFY_ACTIVATION
  VERIFY consequent_effect
  VERIFY working_memory_transition
 RETURN trace_validity
}

RULE_ENGINE_QUERY {
 INPUT := Facts + Goal
 IF forward_mode:
  run_to_goal_or_quiescence
 IF backward_mode:
  prove_goal_from_rules
 OUTPUT := {Proven,NotProven,Contradicted,Unknown,FrameworkSpecificStatus}
}
EXPLANATION_QUERY {
 INPUT := Conclusion
 RETURN supporting_rule_chain_and_facts
}
WHAT_IF_ANALYSIS {
 clone_state
 add_or_remove_hypothetical_facts
 execute_rules
 compare_outcomes
}
CHANGE_IMPACT_ANALYSIS {
 RuleChange -> affected_rules -> affected_facts -> affected_decisions -> affected_tests
}

APPLICATION_RELATIONSHIPS {
 RuleEngine --supports--> ExpertSystems
 RuleEngine --supports--> BusinessRules
 RuleEngine --supports--> PolicyReasoning
 RuleEngine --supports--> DecisionSupport
 RuleEngine --supports--> ArtificialIntelligence
 RuleEngine --supports--> KnowledgeRepresentation
 RuleEngine --supports--> EventProcessing
 RuleEngine --supports--> ComplianceAutomation
 RuleEngine --supports--> DiagnosticSystems
 RuleEngine --supports--> SemanticReasoning
}

ONTOLOGY_LINKS {
 PARENT := KnowledgeRepresentationLogicOntology
 RELATED := {
  KnowledgeRepresentationOntology,
  RuleBasedReasoningOntology,
  LogicalInferenceOntology,
  KnowledgeGraphLogicOntology,
  OntologyLogicOntology,
  HornClauseOntology,
  LogicProgrammingOntology,
  NonMonotonicReasoningOntology,
  ExpertSystemOntology,
  ConstraintReasoningOntology
 }
}

SEMANTIC_EQUIVALENCE {
 RuleEngine ≈ RuleInferenceEngine WHEN automated_rule_execution_context
 ProductionSystem ≈ MatchSelectActRuleSystem
 WorkingMemory ≈ CurrentFactStore WHEN production_system_context
 Activation ≈ ApplicableRuleInstance
}

CONSTRAINTS {
 C1 := every rule MUST have explicit antecedent and consequent semantics
 C2 := activation MUST require valid pattern matches and bindings
 C3 := conflict resolution MUST use declared execution semantics
 C4 := procedural rule order MUST_NOT imply logical priority unless declared
 C5 := asserted and derived facts MUST remain distinguishable where provenance matters
 C6 := negation_as_failure MUST_NOT be conflated with classical negation
 C7 := closed_world assumptions MUST be explicit
 C8 := rule compilation and optimisation MUST preserve semantics
 C9 := nonmonotonic conclusions MUST be retractable when defeated
 C10 := side-effecting actions MUST account for repeated firing and transaction semantics
 C11 := execution traces MUST preserve actual dependencies and state transitions
 C12 := termination and determinism claims MUST be scoped to rule language and strategy
}

REASONING_CHAIN Query Q {
 IDENTIFY rule_base
 IDENTIFY working_memory
 IDENTIFY execution_mode
 IDENTIFY conflict_strategy
 IDENTIFY goal_if_any
 IDENTIFY semantics

 VALIDATE rules
 INDEX facts_and_rules
 INITIALISE match_network

 IF forward_mode {
  LOOP {
   MATCH
   BUILD agenda
   IF agenda_empty: BREAK
   SELECT activation
   VERIFY activation
   FIRE
   UPDATE working_memory
   UPDATE dependencies
   CHECK halt_or_goal
  }
 }

 IF backward_mode {
  START from goal
  FIND matching_consequents
  GENERATE subgoals
  RECURSE
  DETECT loops
 }

 IF nonmonotonic {
  CHECK defaults_exceptions_priorities
  RETRACT defeated_conclusions
 }

 IF event_driven {
  PROCESS event_window
  MATCH temporal_patterns
 }

 BUILD provenance
 BUILD rule_trace
 VERIFY execution_trace
 VALIDATE constraints
 RETURN rule_engine_result WITH derivation
}

CONFIDENCE {
 CORE_RULE_ENGINE := 1.00
 MATCH_SELECT_ACT := 1.00
 FORWARD_CHAINING := 1.00
 BACKWARD_CHAINING := 1.00
 RETE_RELATIONSHIP := 1.00
 TRUTH_MAINTENANCE := 0.99
 NONMONOTONIC_DISTINCTIONS := 1.00
 SPECIFIC_RESULT :=
  IF rules_facts_strategy_and_semantics_complete THEN 1.00
  ELSE REQUIRE missing_information
}

UPDATE_MODEL {
 IMMUTABLE_CORE := {
  RuleAntecedentConsequent,
  WorkingMemory,
  MatchSelectAct,
  Activation,
  ExecutionTrace
 }
 EXTENSIBLE := {
  MatchingAlgorithms,
  ConflictStrategies,
  TruthMaintenance,
  EventProcessing,
  RuleLanguages,
  RuleGovernance,
  OptimisationMethods,
  ApplicationDomains,
  RelatedOntologies
 }
 ON_NEW_KNOWLEDGE {
  IDENTIFY new_rule_fact_or_event
  VALIDATE syntax_and_types
  UPDATE match_network
  CHECK conflicts
  CHECK dependencies
  UPDATE provenance
  DERIVE new_results_if_required
  UPDATE confidence
 }
}

AI_CONSUMPTION {
 MACHINE_READABLE := TRUE
 HUMAN_INTERPRETABLE := TRUE
 RECURSIVE_REASONING := TRUE
 ENTITY_RESOLUTION := TRUE
 RULE_RESOLUTION := TRUE
 FACT_RESOLUTION := TRUE
 PATTERN_MATCHING := TRUE
 AGENDA_REASONING := TRUE
 CONFLICT_RESOLUTION := TRUE
 FORWARD_CHAINING := TRUE
 BACKWARD_CHAINING := TRUE
 RETE_REASONING := TRUE
 TRUTH_MAINTENANCE := TRUE
 EVENT_REASONING := TRUE
 PROVENANCE_TRACKING := TRUE
 RULE_BASE_AUDIT := TRUE
 EXECUTION_TRACE_VALIDATION := TRUE
}

FLOW_HASH {
 TARGET := TARGET_URL
 SUBJECT := "Rule Engine Ontology"
 VERSION := "1.0"
 CANONICAL_SIGNATURE := HASH(TARGET + SUBJECT + DOMAIN + VERSION)
}

OUTPUT {
 PRIMARY_ENTITY := RuleEngine
 INTERPRETATION := "A rule engine operationalises explicit rules by matching them against facts, selecting applicable rule instances and executing their consequences. Robust engines combine forward or backward reasoning with conflict resolution, incremental matching, provenance, truth maintenance, event handling, testing and governance so that rule-derived decisions remain traceable and semantically controlled."
}

END_FLOW