planscheman

Planscheman is a term used in planning theory and knowledge representation to refer to a formalized representation that combines planning knowledge with a schema-like structure. The concept does not denote a single standardized framework; definitions vary among authors and contexts, and it is mostly found in niche or speculative discussions rather than in mainstream practice.

Definition

A planscheman is a structured blueprint that integrates the elements of a plan—goals, tasks, sequencing, resources, and constraints—with a schema that defines the relations among these elements. It can be instantiated or instantiated-and-executed to produce concrete, actionable plans.

Structure

Typical components include a goal model, a task network or workflow, temporal and resource constraints, and provenance metadata. Representations may take the form of graphs, trees, or data structures such as JSON, RDF, or other ontology-based formats. The planscheman serves as an intermediary layer between abstract planning models and concrete execution.

Variants

Conceptual planscheman emphasizes high-level planning knowledge, while executable planscheman incorporates scheduling and constraint handling for execution. Domain-specific planscheman can be tailored to fields such as engineering, software development, or education. Some authors view it as a reusable template that enables interoperability across planning tools and domains.

Applications and limitations

Planscheman concepts are explored in AI planning, knowledge organization, enterprise architecture, and systems engineering to support reuse, retrieval, and adaptation of plans. The main limitations include lack of standardization and varying definitions, which can hinder interoperability unless aligned with existing modeling languages and tooling. See also planning, schema, ontology, knowledge representation. References to planscheman remain limited and non-canonical.