Ontology
An ontology is a formal, explicit specification of a shared conceptualization, used to represent knowledge about a domain in a structured way. It defines concepts, properties, relationships, and constraints to enable reasoning, data integration, and semantic interoperability. In computing, ontologies are foundational to semantic web technologies, artificial intelligence, and knowledge management systems.
Developers should learn about ontologies when working on projects involving semantic data modeling, knowledge representation, or AI systems that require structured domain knowledge. They are essential for building intelligent applications like chatbots, recommendation engines, and data integration tools, as they provide a common vocabulary and logic for machines to interpret and process information consistently.