SBVR — Binding to Individual Concepts

In semantic formulations, only variables and text are bindable targets. Because a role binding cannot bind to an individual concept, the formulation of rules involving individual concepts are overly large and complicated. For example, a formulation of something a simple as “1 + 2 = 3” must involve three quantifications and three variables, but it should be accomplished with a single atomic formulation. Or a formulation of “EU-Rent uses FedEx” must have quantifiers and variables for EU-Rent and for FedEx.

An early submission of SBVR had individual concepts as bindable targets. This was removed because individual concepts do not necessarily have the same extension across all time and in all possible worlds. Binding directly to individual concepts might not work when formalizing statements like “The President was once not the President” or “In 1776 there was no Statue of Liberty”. Explicit quantification would guarantee a precise formulation in all cases.

However, there is a way to allow binding to individual concepts while preserving precision. The way is to rigorously explain what is meant by a binding to an individual concept, and to explain it in terms of quantification. If that is done, then all bindings to individual concepts have a precise meaning. Special cases can continue to be handled using quantification.

Add 'individual concept' into the extensional definition of 'bindable target'. Explain precisely the meaning of a binding to an individual concept.