Abduction and induction
combined in a metalogic framework
Henning Christiansen
Department of Computer Science
Roskilde University, P.O.Box 260, DK-4000 Roskilde, Denmark
Abduction and induction are special cases
within a wider spectrum of reasoning processes
whose purpose is to generate feasible hypothesis
that can explain given observations.
Based on metaprogramming methods in logic
programming, a framework is described for
specification and
implementation of reasoning processes
in which generated hypotheses
may consist of any combination of rules and facts.
The core of this framework is a reversible proof
predicate that serves as a generic reasoning device.
Declarative side-conditions can be applied
for tuning the proof predicate to produce hypotheses of
given forms, thereby implementing, say,
abduction, induction or a variety of combinations thereof.
Book chapter in:
Abductive and Inductive Reasoning:
Essays on their Relation and Integration,
Flach. P., Kakas, A., (eds.),
pp. 195-211,
Kluwer, 2000.