UTILITY-BASED ONTOLOGY EVOLUTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for updating an ontology when a set of evidences and a set of constraints are given as inputs. Exemplary embodiments categorize concepts into three sets, a definitely relevant set, a possibly relevant set, and an irrelevant set. Exemplary embodiments store the concepts from the definitely relevant set in the ontology and the concepts from the possibly relevant set in a residual ontology. Exemplary embodiments match concepts in the set of evidences to the concepts in the ontology or the concepts in the residual ontology. Exemplary embodiments determine to enhance the strength of the existing concepts in the ontology or the existing concepts in the residual ontology. Exemplary embodiments determine to expand the ontology or the residual ontology. Exemplary embodiments remove the concepts from the ontology or the residual ontology utilizing the set of constraints.