An evolutionary approach to Function
Artificial Intelligence
2013-09-25 v1
Abstract
Background: Understanding the distinction between function and role is vexing and difficult. While it appears to be useful, in practice this distinction is hard to apply, particularly within biology. Results: I take an evolutionary approach, considering a series of examples, to develop and generate definitions for these concepts. I test them in practice against the Ontology for Biomedical Investigations (OBI). Finally, I give an axiomatisation and discuss methods for applying these definitions in practice. Conclusions: The definitions in this paper are applicable, formalizing current practice. As such, they make a significant contribution to the use of these concepts within biomedical ontologies.
Cite
@article{arxiv.1309.5984,
title = {An evolutionary approach to Function},
author = {Phillip Lord},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1309.5984},
year = {2013}
}