29. The method set forth in claim 28 wherein the step of determining further comprises the steps of: deriving a compositional description from the compositional descriptions of the entities; translating the derived compositional description into a data base query; and determining from the answer to the data base query whether there is an inconsistency.
28. The method set forth in claim 27 wherein the step of integrating further comprises the step of: determining from the compositional descriptions for the entities whether there is an inconsistency between the entities being integrated into the knowledge base system and the knowledge base system prior to their integration.