What is RDF?
RDF (Resource Description Framework) is a W3C standard for representing information as subject-predicate-object triples, providing a foundational framework for the semantic web and knowledge graph technologies. RDF defines a graph-based data model where resources (identified by URIs) are connected through named properties to values or other resources. This standardized representation enables knowledge sharing, integration, and interoperability across different systems and data sources.
The RDF model uses URIs to uniquely identify resources and properties globally, enabling unambiguous references across distributed systems. Literals represent values like strings, numbers, or dates. A collection of RDF triples forms an RDF graph where resources are nodes and properties are edges. RDF supports multiple serialization formats including RDF/XML, Turtle, N-Triples, and JSON-LD, allowing the same conceptual graph to be represented in different syntaxes based on use case requirements.
In AI systems, RDF provides a standards-based approach to knowledge representation that facilitates data integration, enables semantic reasoning, and supports knowledge sharing across organizations. RDF Schema and OWL build on RDF to add vocabulary definition and ontological capabilities. While property graph databases have become more popular for many knowledge graph applications due to their flexibility and query languages, RDF remains important in domains requiring strict standardization, data exchange, or semantic web technologies. Triple stores that implement RDF provide the storage and querying infrastructure, typically supporting SPARQL as the query language.