Transforming Information in RDF to Rewriting Logic

Abstract. RDF looks like the first step to build the Semantic Web vi-sion. Our long-term goal is to have a sound way to verify and validate the semantic web interactions that applications and agents may develop in a distributed environment. The first step for reaching this goal is to provide a useful semantic support to RDF itself. Based on this formal support, properties may be analyzed, as well as transformations and ver-ifications can be performed. In this paper we propose an intuitive and formal semantics for RDF by means of a translation of RDF documents into executable object-oriented modules in the formal language Maude. This translation provides a semantics for RDF documents and allows programs managing them to be expressed in the same formalism, since Maude specifications are executable. Moreover, due to the reflective fea-tures of Maude, this translation can be implemented in Maude itself. Finally, translated RDF documents are integrated in an agent applica-tion written in Mobile Maude, that is, the same framework is used for both translating RDF documents and expressing the programs that ma-nipulate them. Keywords:RDF, Semantic Web, formal methods, rewriting logic, Maude.