before

IRI: https://spec.industrialontologies.org/ontology/construct/before

Defined In: https://spec.industrialontologies.org/ontology/core/Core/

Type: Object Property

SubProperty Of: bfo:precedes

Range: bfo.BFO_0000015 | bfo.BFO_0000202

Inverse Of: after

Definition

relation that holds between two intervals or processes i and j when the last instant of the temporal extent of i is earlier than the first instant of the temporal extent of j

Examples

• The surface of the metal is cleaned to make it free from dust or grease before polishing; a product is designed before it can be manufactured; January comes before March.

Adapted From

• https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/182.358434

Formal Axioms

First-Order Logic Axioms

LA1: before(i,j) → (TemporalInterval(i) ∧ TemporalInterval(j)) ∨ (Process(i) ∧ Process(j))

LA2: TemporalInterval(i) ∧ TemporalInterval(j) ∧ before(i,j) → ∃i1∃j1(TemporalInstant(i1) ∧ TemporalInstant(j1) ∧ hasLastInstant(i,i1) ∧ hasFirstInstant(j,j1) ∧ precedes(i1,j1))

LA3: Process(i) ∧ Process(j) ∧ ∃i1∃j1(TemporalInterval(i1) ∧ before(i,j) → TemporalInterval(j1) ∧ occupiesTemporalRegion(i,i1) ∧ occupiesTemporalRegion(j,j1) ∧ before(i1,j1))

Semi-Formal Natural Language Axioms

LA1: If i is ‘before’ j then either both are ‘temporal intervals’ or both are ‘process’

LA2: If both i and j are ‘temporal intervals’ and i is ‘before’ j then the ‘last instant of’ i ‘precedes’ the ‘first instant of’ j

LA3: If both i and j are ‘process’ and i is ‘before’ j then the ‘temporal interval’ that i occupies is ‘before’ the ‘temporal interval’ that j occupies

Description Logic

constr:before ⊑ bfo:precedes

domain: bfo:process ⊔ bfo:temporal_interval

range: bfo:process ⊔ bfo:temporal_interval

inverse: constr:after

Transitive

SubPropertyOf: bfo:precedes

domain: bfo:process or bfo:temporal_interval

range: bfo:process or bfo:temporal_interval

inverse: constr:after

Transitive