Lecture notes on Ontology and Semantic Web
Date
2025
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Mohamed El Bachir El Ibrahimi - Bordj Bou Arréridj
Abstract
Description
The objec ve of this course is not to serve as an exhaus ve reference work. Indeed,
comprehensive studies already exist on specific topics such as XML, RDF, RDFS, SPARQL or
OWL. Moreover, the field of the Seman c Web does not necessarily require a complete
textbook, since defini ons, specifica ons, and prac cal guides are widely available online. We
therefore adopt an approach focused on presen ng the fundamental concepts and key
techniques, providing sufficient detail to enable students to master the essen al no ons and
to develop their own applica ons in a construc ve and independent manner. To reinforce this
learning process, the chapter also includes prac cal exercises and hands-on ac vi es designed
to help students apply the concepts and consolidate their understanding through prac ce.
The course presents the principles of automa c reasoning, enabling systems to infer new
knowledge from exis ng informa on and suppor ng consistent decision-making. The course
also covers the logical founda ons necessary for formal knowledge representa on, including
classical logic and descrip on logic, which are essen al for defining rela onships between
concepts and specifying constraints on data.
Concrete applica ons of ontologies are illustrated across mul ple domains, including
the Seman c Web, the Internet of Things (IoT), healthcare (e.g., SNOMED CT for disease
classifica on), and industry, demonstra ng how ontologies facilitate interoperability,
consistency, and logical reasoning over complex knowledge bases.