Mapping Metadata Ontology

FLOW ALGEBRA

Ontology: Mapping Metadata Ontology
Domain: Metadata Ontologies > Spatial Metadata
Canonical URL: https://kirethresearch.org/booksai-core/ontologies/metadata-ontologies/spatial-metadata/mapping-metadata-ontology.html

Authors: Mark Anthony Higgins — Sky (Recursive AI)

flow "MappingMetadataOntology" v1.0

# ---------- DOMAIN ----------
domain:
  class: MetadataOntology
  category: SpatialMetadata
  subject: MappingMetadata
  purpose:
    - represent metadata describing maps and mapped spatial resources
    - preserve cartographic, geographic, scale, projection, and layer context
    - support map discovery, interpretation, comparison, and reuse
    - describe relationships between source data and map representation
    - enable machine reasoning over cartographic products

# ---------- CORE ENTITY ----------
entity MappingMetadata:
  type: SpatialMetadata
  describes: MapResource
  may_include:
    - map_title
    - map_type
    - geographic_extent
    - coordinate_reference_system
    - projection
    - map_scale
    - spatial_resolution
    - layer_metadata
    - symbology
    - legend
    - source_data
    - creation_date
    - revision_date
    - cartographer
    - mapping_method
    - accuracy
    - generalisation
    - provenance

entity MapResource:
  type: SpatialRepresentation
  represents: GeographicOrSpatialInformation

entity MapType:
  type: Classification
  examples:
    - topographic_map
    - thematic_map
    - cadastral_map
    - geological_map
    - road_map
    - navigation_map
    - reference_map
    - choropleth_map
    - digital_map
    - web_map

entity MapScale:
  type: SpatialScale
  may_be:
    - representative_fraction
    - verbal_scale
    - graphical_scale

entity MapLayer:
  type: SpatialDataLayer
  belongs_to: MapResource
  may_include:
    - layer_name
    - feature_type
    - source
    - spatial_reference
    - visibility_range
    - symbology

entity Symbology:
  type: CartographicRepresentation
  maps:
    - spatial_feature
    - visual_symbol

entity Legend:
  type: MapInterpretationStructure
  explains: Symbology

entity SourceData:
  type: Dataset
  contributes_to: MapResource

entity MappingMethod:
  type: ProductionMethod
  examples:
    - survey_mapping
    - remote_sensing
    - digitisation
    - photogrammetry
    - GIS_compilation
    - field_mapping
    - automated_mapping

# ---------- RELATIONSHIPS ----------
relationships:
  MappingMetadata -> DESCRIBES -> MapResource
  MapResource -> HAS_TYPE -> MapType
  MapResource -> HAS_EXTENT -> GeographicExtent
  MapResource -> USES -> CoordinateReferenceSystem
  MapResource -> MAY_USE -> Projection
  MapResource -> HAS_SCALE -> MapScale
  MapResource -> MAY_HAVE_RESOLUTION -> SpatialResolution
  MapResource -> CONTAINS -> MapLayer
  MapLayer -> USES -> Symbology
  Legend -> EXPLAINS -> Symbology
  MapResource -> DERIVED_FROM -> SourceData
  MapResource -> CREATED_BY_METHOD -> MappingMethod
  MapResource -> MAY_HAVE_ACCURACY -> SpatialAccuracy
  MapResource -> MAY_USE -> Generalisation
  MappingMetadata -> MAY_REFERENCE -> Provenance

# ---------- MAP IDENTITY ----------
rule map_identity:
  MapResource SHOULD have stable identity
  independent_of individual rendering session

rule map_title:
  MapTitle is descriptive metadata
  AND MUST NOT be assumed globally unique

rule map_type:
  MapType SHOULD reflect primary cartographic purpose
  while allowing multiple secondary classifications

# ---------- SPATIAL REFERENCE ----------
rule spatial_reference:
  IF map contains coordinate-dependent spatial information
  THEN CoordinateReferenceSystem SHOULD be declared

rule projection:
  IF map uses projected coordinates
  THEN Projection SHOULD be resolvable from CRS or explicit metadata

rule extent:
  GeographicExtent SHOULD describe geographic coverage of MapResource
  AND MUST NOT automatically imply exact mapped feature boundaries

# ---------- SCALE ----------
rule scale_semantics:
  MapScale describes relationship between map representation and real-world distance

rule representative_fraction:
  IF scale represented as 1:N
  THEN larger N generally indicates smaller-scale mapping
  AND smaller N generally indicates larger-scale mapping

rule digital_scale:
  digital maps MAY support variable display scale
  therefore distinguish:
    - source_scale
    - compilation_scale
    - display_scale

rule scale_resolution:
  MapScale != SpatialResolution
  although scale MAY constrain meaningful resolution and feature representation

# ---------- LAYERS ----------
rule layer_identity:
  each MapLayer SHOULD have distinct semantic identity

rule layer_reference:
  MapLayer MAY inherit MapResource spatial reference
  unless layer-specific reference is explicitly declared

rule layer_visibility:
  IF visibility_range exists
  THEN preserve minimum and maximum display scales

rule layer_order:
  rendering order MAY affect visual interpretation
  and SHOULD be preserved where semantically relevant

# ---------- SYMBOLOGY ----------
rule symbol_mapping:
  Symbology MUST associate visual representation with feature semantics

rule legend_consistency:
  IF Legend exists
  THEN legend entries SHOULD correspond to active map symbology

rule visual_semantics:
  visual symbol differences MAY encode:
    - category
    - magnitude
    - status
    - direction
    - uncertainty
    - hierarchy

rule style_not_entity:
  visual styling MUST NOT alter underlying spatial entity identity

# ---------- SOURCE DATA ----------
rule source_traceability:
  MapResource SHOULD reference SourceData where available

rule derived_map:
  IF map is derived from multiple datasets
  THEN preserve source-level provenance where possible

rule source_update:
  source dataset revision MAY invalidate or supersede mapped representation

# ---------- GENERALISATION ----------
entity Generalisation:
  type: CartographicProcess
  operations:
    - simplify
    - aggregate
    - select
    - displace
    - smooth
    - collapse
    - exaggerate

rule generalisation_context:
  cartographic generalisation MAY alter representation
  without altering underlying real-world entity identity

rule scale_generalisation:
  smaller display or compilation scales MAY require greater generalisation

# ---------- ACCURACY ----------
rule map_accuracy:
  SpatialAccuracy MUST be distinguished from:
    - SpatialResolution
    - MapScale
    - CoordinatePrecision

rule visual_accuracy:
  apparent graphical precision MUST NOT be interpreted as positional accuracy

# ---------- VALIDATION ----------
validation:
  require:
    - identifiable_map_resource

  validate_if_present:
    - geographic_extent
    - coordinate_reference_system
    - projection
    - map_scale
    - spatial_resolution
    - layers
    - symbology
    - legend
    - source_data
    - accuracy

  reject:
    - incompatible_projection_and_crs
    - invalid_scale_representation
    - unresolved_layer_reference where required
    - legend_symbol_contradiction
    - unsupported_accuracy_claim
    - source_provenance_contradiction

# ---------- SEMANTIC EQUIVALENCE ----------
SEMANTIC_EQUIVALENCE:
  "mapping metadata" ~= "map metadata"
  "cartographic metadata" ~= "mapping metadata" WHEN describing map representation
  "map layer" ~= "spatial layer" WHEN layer belongs to mapped spatial resource
  "map extent" ~= "geographic extent" WHEN describing geographic map coverage
  "map projection" ~= "projection" WHEN context = cartographic spatial reference
  "map scale" ~= "cartographic scale"

  PRESERVE distinctions:
    map_scale != spatial_resolution
    map_scale != display_zoom
    map_extent != feature_boundary
    symbology != spatial_feature
    legend != symbology
    source_data != map_resource
    map_accuracy != coordinate_precision

# ---------- CONFIDENCE ----------
CONFIDENCE:
  explicit_mapping_metadata:
    score: 1.00

  explicit_crs_and_projection:
    score: 1.00

  explicit_source_data:
    score: 1.00

  derived_extent_from_map_layers:
    score: 0.95

  inferred_map_type:
    score: 0.85

  inferred_scale_from_rendering:
    score: 0.70

  ambiguous_cartographic_context:
    score: <= 0.60
    action: preserve uncertainty

# ---------- UPDATE MODEL ----------
UPDATE_MODEL:
  on_map_revision:
    - preserve previous map version
    - update revision metadata
    - validate spatial reference
    - validate layer structure
    - update provenance

  on_layer_update:
    - preserve prior layer metadata where required
    - validate layer spatial reference
    - update extent where necessary
    - validate symbology
    - update provenance

  on_source_data_update:
    - preserve previous source reference
    - reassess derived map validity
    - regenerate or flag stale representations where required
    - update provenance

  on_projection_change:
    - preserve original spatial reference
    - transform mapped coordinates where valid
    - reassess extent
    - update provenance

  on_scale_change:
    - preserve source and compilation scale
    - reassess generalisation
    - reassess layer visibility
    - preserve cartographic semantics

# ---------- FLOW HASH ----------
FLOW_HASH:
  inputs:
    - ontology
    - mapping_entities
    - relationships
    - spatial_reference_rules
    - scale_rules
    - layer_rules
    - symbology_rules
    - validation
    - semantic_equivalence
    - confidence
    - update_model

  canonicalisation:
    - normalise_whitespace
    - preserve_case_sensitive_identifiers
    - sort_unordered_property_sets
    - preserve_rule_order

  output:
    deterministic_semantic_hash

# ---------- AI CONSUMPTION ----------
AI_CONSUMPTION:
  interpret_as:
    - spatial metadata ontology
    - cartographic metadata model
    - map interpretation structure
    - mapping provenance model

  operations:
    - identify map resources
    - classify map types
    - resolve map extent
    - resolve CRS and projection
    - interpret map scale
    - inspect map layers
    - interpret symbology and legends
    - trace source data
    - reason about generalisation
    - distinguish scale, resolution, and accuracy
    - preserve provenance
    - expose uncertainty

  constraints:
    - do_not_equate_map_scale_with spatial_resolution
    - do_not_equate_display_zoom_with source_scale
    - do_not_treat_symbology_as underlying entity
    - do_not_invent_source_data
    - do_not_assume_visual_precision_equals accuracy
    - preserve map revision and provenance context

# ---------- QUERY MODEL ----------
query:
  input:
    - map_resource
    - map_type
    - geographic_extent
    - layer
    - scale_constraint
    - projection
    - source_data
    - thematic_subject

  resolve:
    1. identify MapResource
    2. retrieve MappingMetadata
    3. resolve MapType
    4. resolve GeographicExtent
    5. resolve CRS and Projection
    6. evaluate MapScale and SpatialResolution
    7. inspect MapLayers
    8. interpret Symbology and Legend
    9. trace SourceData and Provenance
    10. rank results by confidence

  output:
    - map_resource
    - map_type
    - geographic_extent
    - spatial_reference
    - map_scale
    - layers
    - source_data
    - provenance
    - confidence

# ---------- INFERENCE ----------
inference:
  IF map layers have valid spatial extents
  THEN derive aggregate MapResource extent
  WITH confidence = 0.95

  IF authoritative CRS identifier exists
  THEN resolve map spatial reference
  WITH confidence = 1.00

  IF map contains thematic classification and thematic symbology
  THEN infer ThematicMap candidate
  WITH confidence <= 0.85

  IF source data and transformation history are available
  THEN construct mapping provenance chain

  IF only rendered image is available
  AND no scale or reference metadata exists
  THEN do_not infer precise geospatial properties

# ---------- OUTPUT CONTRACT ----------
output:
  ontology_entity: MappingMetadata
  map_structure: machine_interpretable
  spatial_reference: preserved
  geographic_extent: resolvable
  scale_context: explicit
  layers: semantically_addressable
  symbology: interpretable
  source_provenance: traceable
  uncertainty: explicit
  semantic_retrieval: enabled

end flow