DiShIn
Technology
As described in and
DiShIn (Disjunctive Shared Information) is method to calculate that shared information content by complementing the value of most informative common ancestor (MICA) with their disjunctive ancestors by exploring the multiple inheritance of an ontology.
The shared information content of two terms in an Ontology (information science) is a popular technique to measure their semantic similarity. DiShIn re-defines the shared information content between two concepts as the average of all their disjunctive ancestors, assuming that an ancestor is disjunctive if the difference between the number of distinct paths from the concepts to it is different from that of any other more informative ancestor. In other words, a disjunctive ancestor is the most informative ancestor representing a given set of parallel interpretations. DiShIn is an improvement of GraSM in terms of computational efficiency and in the management of parallel interpretations.
Example
For example, palladium, platinum, silver and gold are considered to be precious metals, and silver, gold and copper considered to be coinage metals. Thus, we have:
metal
/ \
precious coinage
/ | \ \ / / \
/ | \ gold / \
palladium platinum silver copper
When calculating the semantic similarity between platinum and gold,
DiShIn starts by calculating the number of paths difference for all their common ancestors:
gold -> coinage -> metal
gold -> precious -> metal
platinum -> precious -> metal
gold -> precious
platinum -> precious
For metal we have two paths from gold and one from platinum, so we have a path difference of one.
For precious we have one path from each concept, so we have a path difference of zero.
Since their path difference is distinct, both common ancestors metal and precious are considered to be disjunctive common ancestors.
When calculating the semantic similarity between platinum and palladium,
DiShIn starts by calculating the number of paths difference for all their common ancestors:
palladium -> precious -> metal
platinum -> precious -> metal
palladium -> precious
platinum -> precious
For both metal and precious, we have only one path from each concept, so we have a path difference of zero for both common ancestors.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “DiShIn” is technology. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through DiShIn and Technology, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “technology” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Feb 20, 2024. The linked authority identifier is Q5590534. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “DiShIn”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow DiShIn primary sources, DiShIn archive and DiShIn research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “DiShIn”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “DiShIn” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.