Although the Web is growing at an astounding pace, surpassing the 8 billion page mark, most pages are still designed for human consumption and cannot be processed by machines. Computers are used to display the information, but human intervention is still required to interpret the results. The Semantic Web unleashes a revolution of new possibilities in which content is given formal, machine processable semantics.

This book provides a well-paced introduction to the Semantic Web. It covers a wide range of topics, from new trends (ontologies, rules) to existing technologies (Web Services and software agents) to more formal aspects (logic and inference). It includes: real-world (and complete) examples of the application of Semantic Web concepts; how the technology presented and discussed throughout the book can be extended to other application areas, i.e. Geographic Information Sciences, Bioinformatics and Fine Arts.

This book provides a well-paced introduction to the Semantic Web, which is gaining in understanding and acceptance as new applications are realized in industry, academic, and government environments. It provides a succinct account of this new Web, its concepts, technologies and applications, and in particular demonstrates how Semantic Web technologies may be integrated and realised in several application domains including: software agents, semantic desktops, fine arts, and geospatial applications.

The book is intended as a reference text on the Semantic Web for software engineers, database and information technology students, academics and practitioners. It differs from other available books on the topic because, rather than presenting the Semantic Web as a quilt of disconnected topics, it provides a comprehensible body of concepts and related technologies. The book reflects the authors' experience in research, graduate teaching, corporate training, industry and government projects grounded on the Semantic Web.