735 research outputs found
Space Efficiency of Propositional Knowledge Representation Formalisms
We investigate the space efficiency of a Propositional Knowledge
Representation (PKR) formalism. Intuitively, the space efficiency of a
formalism F in representing a certain piece of knowledge A, is the size of the
shortest formula of F that represents A. In this paper we assume that knowledge
is either a set of propositional interpretations (models) or a set of
propositional formulae (theorems). We provide a formal way of talking about the
relative ability of PKR formalisms to compactly represent a set of models or a
set of theorems. We introduce two new compactness measures, the corresponding
classes, and show that the relative space efficiency of a PKR formalism in
representing models/theorems is directly related to such classes. In
particular, we consider formalisms for nonmonotonic reasoning, such as
circumscription and default logic, as well as belief revision operators and the
stable model semantics for logic programs with negation. One interesting result
is that formalisms with the same time complexity do not necessarily belong to
the same space efficiency class
Complexity of Nested Circumscription and Nested Abnormality Theories
The need for a circumscriptive formalism that allows for simple yet elegant
modular problem representation has led Lifschitz (AIJ, 1995) to introduce
nested abnormality theories (NATs) as a tool for modular knowledge
representation, tailored for applying circumscription to minimize exceptional
circumstances. Abstracting from this particular objective, we propose L_{CIRC},
which is an extension of generic propositional circumscription by allowing
propositional combinations and nesting of circumscriptive theories. As shown,
NATs are naturally embedded into this language, and are in fact of equal
expressive capability. We then analyze the complexity of L_{CIRC} and NATs, and
in particular the effect of nesting. The latter is found to be a source of
complexity, which climbs the Polynomial Hierarchy as the nesting depth
increases and reaches PSPACE-completeness in the general case. We also identify
meaningful syntactic fragments of NATs which have lower complexity. In
particular, we show that the generalization of Horn circumscription in the NAT
framework remains CONP-complete, and that Horn NATs without fixed letters can
be efficiently transformed into an equivalent Horn CNF, which implies
polynomial solvability of principal reasoning tasks. Finally, we also study
extensions of NATs and briefly address the complexity in the first-order case.
Our results give insight into the ``cost'' of using L_{CIRC} (resp. NATs) as a
host language for expressing other formalisms such as action theories,
narratives, or spatial theories.Comment: A preliminary abstract of this paper appeared in Proc. Seventeenth
International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI-01), pages
169--174. Morgan Kaufmann, 200
Incremental Recompilation of Knowledge
Approximating a general formula from above and below by Horn formulas (its
Horn envelope and Horn core, respectively) was proposed by Selman and Kautz
(1991, 1996) as a form of ``knowledge compilation,'' supporting rapid
approximate reasoning; on the negative side, this scheme is static in that it
supports no updates, and has certain complexity drawbacks pointed out by
Kavvadias, Papadimitriou and Sideri (1993). On the other hand, the many
frameworks and schemes proposed in the literature for theory update and
revision are plagued by serious complexity-theoretic impediments, even in the
Horn case, as was pointed out by Eiter and Gottlob (1992), and is further
demonstrated in the present paper. More fundamentally, these schemes are not
inductive, in that they may lose in a single update any positive properties of
the represented sets of formulas (small size, Horn structure, etc.). In this
paper we propose a new scheme, incremental recompilation, which combines Horn
approximation and model-based updates; this scheme is inductive and very
efficient, free of the problems facing its constituents. A set of formulas is
represented by an upper and lower Horn approximation. To update, we replace the
upper Horn formula by the Horn envelope of its minimum-change update, and
similarly the lower one by the Horn core of its update; the key fact which
enables this scheme is that Horn envelopes and cores are easy to compute when
the underlying formula is the result of a minimum-change update of a Horn
formula by a clause. We conjecture that efficient algorithms are possible for
more complex updates.Comment: See http://www.jair.org/ for any accompanying file
Introduction to the 26th International Conference on Logic Programming Special Issue
This is the preface to the 26th International Conference on Logic Programming
Special IssueComment: 6 page
On abduction and answer generation through constrained resolution
Recently, extensions of constrained logic programming and constrained resolution for theorem proving have been introduced, that consider constraints, which are interpreted under an open world assumption. We discuss relationships between applications of these approaches for query answering in knowledge base systems on the one hand and abduction-based hypothetical reasoning on the other hand. We show both that constrained resolution can be used as an operationalization of (some limited form of) abduction and that abduction is the logical status of an answer generation process through constrained resolution, ie., it is an abductive but not a deductive form of reasoning
Hidden Spoor, Ruan Xiaoxu, And His Treatise On Reclusion
In early medieval China great attention was paid to compiling accounts of men in reclusion, yet the prefaces to these compilations often contain only vague or stale reasoning concerning the nature of reclusion itself. A preface by Shen Yue (441-513) is a notable exception: Shen differentiated between disengagement and reclusion. A slightly later contemporary of Shen, Ruan Xiaoxu (479-536), took issue with him in a unique and tightly constructed disquisition on what Ruan saw as a basic dichotomy in the Way of man: the root and overt traces. Ruan\u27s overlooked treatise is examined here, as are some relevant facets of his life
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