Orion

Philosophy and Rationale

If it really is structure, what sort of structure is it?

We are asserting that it isactive dynamic undirected structure

“Knowledge Is Structure”

A Simple Structure

The structure can propagate a wide range of entities through its connections, and the operators can operate on analytic or experiential information, and the structure can change itself.

• Visible• Undirected• Dynamically Extensible• Controllable Existence

Logical Surface

Statements are written on a logical surface

a = b + c

Building Structures

We can combine small logical structures into larger structures without concern for how they will later be used.The directions of information flow in the structure are dynamic

IF a + b = c THEN d + e = f

Argument from Similarity

Real Neurons (not artificial ones)

• Switching• Complex messages• Back connections• Changing connections• Storing of memories• Massively parallel activity

Object

Object

Time

Time

<

Network Operators

• Switching• Complex messages• Undirected• Changing connections• Storing of memories• Quasi-parallel activity

But Real Neurons Are Directed

How can the fluidity of knowledge be built on directed structure?

Back-connections throughout the neuronal structure can hide this physical directionality operating at a lower level, just as many small tasks in a queue can hide most of the limitations of a single process

Argument from Function

A mental model has to represent a fast-changing world.

Its attributes are no accident. The connections in different

areas may be different, but the substrate is universal.

A knowledge model has to represent a changing world.

Can its substrate also be universal, so there are no

boundaries between different aspects?

Argument from Utility - One

An algorithm/data structure has one part, the data

structure, that is visible and easy to change, one

part, the algorithm, that is invisible to the machine

and hard to change - a stream of instructions.

An active structure is all of it visible all of the time.

Changing the structure changes its behaviour.

Argument from Utility - Two

One algorithm/data structure

does not easily merge with

another - each has been built for

a purpose.

One active structure easily

merges with another - the

phasing lies in the structure, so

connecting new structure

changes the phasing to suit.

Argument from Visibility

Procedures on a stack are invisible to everything but

the stack handler. Nothing else can see what is

happening and respond to it - the machine is blind to

its own workings. This prevents quasi-parallelism.

States being propagated in a network are always

visible - anything that can be connected to a point of

interest can respond to change or influence it, down

to the limit of operator granularity.

Argument from Dynamism

All knowledge has dynamic aspects - aspects we can’t avoid.

If a paradigm can handle the most dynamic, it can handle the

least dynamic or the static on its ear.

A = B + C Static structure

X = SUM(List) Dynamic structure

The quake struck early Thursday. Ultimate dynamism

Nowhere to Start

This is typical - knowledge is used everywhere - no start, no end, lots of loops

- it is definitely not a DAGAttempts to enforce some predetermined

structure quickly result in irrelevance

Orion Principles

• Destroy no inference in the transformation from text to structure

• Discover universal substrate by continual extension of problem space

• The activity is only in the structure, not outside it

• Invisible activity (within operators) is minimised by fine granularity

• Accrete the structure where simple operators are inadequate

Examples

Project ManagementDevelopment projects have a life of their own.

There is uncertainty in what you are doing, and whether and when you will be doing it.

Critical Path Method doesn’t allow you to plan what to do, only when to do it - the activities in a knowledge model have both logical and existential control, and the design model can sit in the same model as the activities and resources, all made out of the same stuff and communicating with each other

Reinsurance Simulation

Generated Commercial Property Claims

A Surplus treaty

Claims paid after theSurplus recoveries

Household

Risk Excess treaty

Claims paid after theSurplus and RiskXs

Combine with HouseholdClaims after Quota Share(into Catastrophe treaty)

The structure generated for Commercial Property (each column represents a policy)

The structure of the reinsurance program is in the form that insurance peopleunderstand it – claims flow into a reinsurance treaty, which recovers some ofthe payments. What remains can be combined and flow into another treaty. The structure is easily modifiable and extensible because it is self-phasing

Combining Knowledge Domains

Assemble Pieces of Knowledge Into an Active Object Which Itself Can be Assembled...

Airframe

Performance

Avionics

Section b(ii). An occupies relation, with Tenant as a subject and portion as an object, and a logical control structure controlling 2 pay relations. Portion is part (contained in) Space, which is the local dictionary object for Swing Space. The occupy relation gets its TimePeriod from the Extended Swing Space Term – the new TimePeriod of the occupy relation. The StartDate of both pay relations is 01/09/2005.

Extracting Meaning from Text

Linking In Bioinformatics

ABCA1: ATP-binding cassette, sub-family A (ABC1), member 1

LocusID: 19

Overview ?

The membrane-associated protein encoded by this gene is a member of thesuperfamily of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters. ABC proteins transportvarious molecules across extra- and intracellular membranes. ABC genes aredivided into seven distinct subfamilies (ABC1, MDR/TAP, MRP, ALD, OABP,GCN20, White). This protein is a member of the ABC1 subfamily. With cholesterolas its substrate, this protein functions as a cholesteral efflux pump in the cellularlipid removal pathway. Mutations in this gene have been associated with Tangier'sdisease and familial high-density lipoprotein deficiency.

Family ABC (transporter across membranes)Subfamily ABC1 (members ABC1, MDR/TAP, MRP, ALD, OABP, GCN20, White)Gene ABCA1Protein NP_005493Substrate CholesterolFunction cholesterol efflux pump associated lipid removal pathwayMutation causes Tangier’s disease, familial high-density lipoprotein deficiency.

Chromosome: 9 mv Cytogenetic: 9q31.1 RefSeq

Genes

Proteins

Diseases

Anatomy

N P_0001 N P_0047

Brain

Brain

Liver

LiverEye

Kidney

Cortex

FFPFICABC HKT

PKC

The structure is used to understand the text - then the text is used to extend the structure

How Practical Is The Approach

• Creation of model is fast if knowledge is available

• Incremental growth of model topology suits typical knowledge acquisition cycle

• Large simulation models have similar execution times to more simplistic programmatic versions

• Dynamic Constraint Reasoning models have similar solving times to other more static methods

But Is It Easy

In one way, creating a knowledge structure is an iron discipline - unlike a program, effects can only occur through connections - so connections must be made and states propagated - no lazy reaching out to assign a value.

And yet, is there another way - how can we be sure we are in the correct state unless everything that is relevant can see and contribute to the current state.

Why Do This

As applications move towards the use of knowledge, the

limitations of a single point of control machine, with so little in its

focus, become increasingly burdensome.

Still limited to a single point, the propagation of states through

network connections, the continuous visibility, the fine

granularity and the self-modifiability increase the size of the

apparent focus and permit us to move closer to the full use of

knowledge.