1. A computer-implementable method for incremental specification of identities in a computer network, the method comprising: creating set identifiers; annotating identifiers using objects, properties, relations, values, and tuples in at least one set of statements; storing data representing the tuples; querying the tuples in at least one ephemeral context comprising additional tuples as query assumptions and access control; applying knowledge rules within the ephemeral context to derive derived tuples, the knowledge rules comprising additional tuples; applying representation rules within the ephemeral context to derive logical tuples from data in other representations, the representation rules mapping between logical and physical representations; applying access control rules within the ephemeral context to limit or grant access to certain tuples; generating a reference for a set identifier; resolving the reference to determine a corresponding identifier; and deriving related identifiers for a set identifier based on the tuples.