Yes, of course, no one is interested in every possible inference.  That is why they generate queries in, e.g. SPARQL, which uses inferencing to find the values that fit the query variables.  But without proper assertions in the ontology for the reasoned to work with, some or even all true answers will never be generated.  The query variables serve as the “filter” that you correctly state is necessary.

Pat.

Patrick Cassidy

MICRA Inc.

cassidy@micra.com

908-561-3416

From: wikidata-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org [mailto:wikidata-l-bounces@lists.wikimedia.org] On Behalf Of Michael Hale
Sent: Friday, May 10, 2013 8:22 AM
To: Discussion list for the Wikidata project.
Subject: Re: [Wikidata-l] Question about wikipedia categories.

If you are going to use a computer to automatically generate new facts using an ontology then you have to do fairly sophisticated filtering of the results. If you start with just a few axioms for logic and Euclidean geometry you could have a computer automatically prove new theorems using them forever. Most of the results would be boring though. To identify the gems like the proof that there are only 5 Platonic solids requires you to analyze the network of results that are produced to find the elegant, interesting, useful, powerful, surprising, deep, and important ones.

See Wolfram's note on empirical metamathematics: http://www.wolframscience.com/nksonline/page-1176b-text