| EPSRC Reference: |
GR/K19266/01 |
| Title: |
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE MODEL-BUILDING IMPLEMENTATION OF PRAGMATIC REASONING |
| Principal Investigator: |
Bell, Dr J |
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| Department: |
Computer Science |
| Organisation: |
Queen Mary University of London |
| Scheme: |
Standard Research (Pre-FEC) |
| Starts: |
19 June 1995 |
Ends: |
18 June 1998 |
Value (£): |
153,774
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Summary on Grant Application Form |
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Pragmatic reasoning (~ common-sense reasoning) is essential in daily life. We are expert at it; we are usually able to reach reasonable conclusions quickly and without much effort. By contrast, we tend to find semantic reasoning (deductive reasoning) difficult e.g. the difficulty of first-year logic courses for many students. Attempts at providing proof-theoretic formalisations of pragmatic reasoning, in nonmomotonic logics such as Default Logic, lead to a paradox; as they suggest that pragmatic reasoning is harder, both conceptually and technically, than semantic reasoning. One response is to attempt to find tractable subsets of such logics. However, it is also possible to use model theory to formalise pragmatic reasoning and we propose to investigate the idea of implementing the model theory of pragmatic logics. A general theory has been sketched. This recommends replacing mathematical models by tractable computational models in a principled way. The intractable consistency checks of the proof-theoretic approach are then replaced by tractable evaluation in the relevant models. Pilot studies have already been conducted with an impressive implementation of state-of-the-art casual reasoning. In this project we propose to develop the theory further, to conduct a theoretical investigation of its range and scope, and to produce empirical confirmation in the form of implemented theories of casual reasoning and teleological reasoning. This work is fundamental and will have a significant impact on future systems.
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Potential use in non-academic contexts |
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Impacts |
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| Description |
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Sectors submitted by the Researcher |
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This information can now be found on Gateway to Research (GtR) http://gtr.rcuk.ac.uk
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