metaedge

Metaedge is a term used in information science and related fields to denote a higher-level or abstracted edge that represents a set of more concrete connections between entities. The exact meaning varies across domains, and there is no universally accepted formal definition. In graph theory and network analysis, a metaedge may appear in meta-graphs or schema graphs as an edge type or relation category that summarizes multiple individual edges of the same kind. In knowledge graphs and data integration, a metaedge can serve as an abstract relationship type between classes or concepts, allowing analysis at the schema level without enumerating all instances. In data modeling and model-driven engineering, metaedges describe relationships between model elements, such as between a class and a component, independent of specific data instances.

Examples include a metaedge labeled "employed by" between Person and Organization in a meta-model, representing all employment relations, or a metaedge "collaborates with" between Researcher entities summarizing various co-authorship links. The use of metaedges supports aggregation, querying at higher levels of abstraction, and visualization of complex networks. However, the concept can obscure details of individual connections and requires precise definitions to avoid ambiguity.

See also: meta-model, hypergraph, edge type, schema graph, aggregation. References: the term appears in discussions of graph abstraction and data modeling, but formal usage varies by discipline.