Semiotic-Conceptual Analysis (SCA) is a mathematical formalisation of semiotics that builds on a conceptual foundation. Its aim is to present a means for analysing the relationship between representations and their meanings. SCA can thus support “interactive linguistics”. The initial step of SCA is a qualitative analysis which provides an overview of the structures of an application domain. This initial step is followed by more formal analyses. In this paper, the initial step of SCA is applied to a learning management system as an example from the domain of educational software.

In this paper we develop a formalization of semantic relations that facilitates efficient implementations of relations in lexical databases or knowledge representation systems using bases. The formalization of relations is based on a modeling of hierarchical relations in Formal Concept Analysis. Further, relations are analyzed according to Relational Concept Analysis, which allows a representation of semantic relations consisting of relational components and quantificational tags. This representation utilizes mathematical properties of semantic relations. The quantificational tags imply inheritance rules among semantic relations that can be used to check the consistency of relations and to reduce the redundancy in implementations by storing only the basis elements of semantic relations. The research presented in this paper is an example of an application of Relational Concept Analysis to lexical databases and knowledge representation systems (cf. Priss 1996) which is part of a larger framework of research on natural language analysis and formalization.