Applicable Relations provides a list of every relation for which the given term could possibly be an argument.
The list is organized into sections based on which argument position the term could occupy (e.g., "Arg 1", "Arg 2", "Arg 3"). Every term will have #$isa under its Arg 1 section. All binary predicates will have #$arg1Isa under their Arg 1 section and #$arg2Isa under their Arg 2 section. Particular places (e.g., #$CityOfParisFrance) will have #$eventOccursAt under their Arg 2 section, and particular agents (e.g., #$Lenat) will have #$doneBy under their Arg 2 section.
Within each section, relations are sorted very roughly as follows: more specific relations come first in the list and more general ones come later.
Next to some relations in the list are "+" links for processing that relation using the Literal Query tool. In general, the Literal Query tool asks CYC® to compute more queries of a specific type. (See the Literal Query Help for details.)
Example: if #$Lenat is displayed in the KB Browser, and we click on Applicable Relations, we will see every relation in CYC® that could possibly applyto Lenat. One of those relations should be #$mother. Clicking on the "+" next to mother will initiate the ask:
(#$mother #$Lenat ?ARG2)to see if CYC® can compute any bindings for that value.
The different colors specify the likelihood that an answer can be concluded:
: CYC® already has assertions asserted and indexed like this.
: CYC® has HL methods available which make it VERY likely an answer can be calculated.
: It's possible but unlikely that a value can be calculated.
No + : There's no way for CYC® to conclude this relation.