Defeasible Reasoning and Uncertainty Management Systems II

Objective

DRUMS II is a continuation of the DRUMS I Basic Research Action (3085), in which defeasible reasoning, uncertainty and incompleteness were studied. The overall objective is to investigate symbolic and quantitative methods of representation and reasoning able to deal with knowledge that is uncertain and defeasible. Six topics have been selected that are of fundamental importance in the domain of defeasible and uncertain reasoning:

- Belief change Organisation of the body of existing results for modelling belief changes so as to assess what is common to these belief change schemes.
- Non-monotonic deduction Integration of four general frameworks for deduction, namely Gentzen systems, labelled deductive systems, the axiomatisations of the consequence relation, and category theory; in order to provide appropriate insights into the nature and mechanism of non-monotonic deduction.
- Inconsistency in reasoning Development of a logic-based model that accounts for inconsistency in reasoning.
- Abduction Clarification of the relationships and actual differences of numerical, logical and machine learning perspectives of abduction.
- Algorithmic problems Study of the algorithmic problems of uncertain reasoning, taking as general a viewpoint as possible.
- Dynamic reasoning with partial models Study of the dynamics of non-monotonic reasoning using information structures as a vehicle for representation.
The symbolic and quantitative methods of representation and reasoning able to deal with knowledge that is uncertain and defeasible have been investigated. The 6 topics under study are: belief change, nonmonotonic deduction, inconsistency in reasoning, abduction, algorithmic problems and dynamic reasoning with partial models.

The major achievement is the integration of both the symbolic and numerical approaches for handling uncertainty problems, bridging the gaps between 2 usually diametrically opposed approaches. Strong cross fertilization is apparent. The results will be presented in a series of handbooks.
APPROACH AND METHODS

The project is centred on topics, and not on methods as was the case in DRUMS I. Partners are distributed amongst the six topics, creating a context favourable for strong integration between numerical and symbolic approaches as well as between various schools of thought.

POTENTIAL

The project will provide a better understanding of the models proposed to represent and to handle uncertainty and defeasible reasoning, two topics that seem to have become major issues in the development of information systems.

Fields of science

• natural sciences › computer and information sciences › artificial intelligence › machine learning

Programme(s)

• FP3-ESPRIT 3 - Specific research and technological development programme (EEC) in the field of information technologies, 1990-1994

Topic(s)

Data not available

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

Data not available

Coordinator

VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL

Address

Avenue F.d. Roosevelt, 50, 122
1050 Bruxelles
Belgium

Participants (18)

AALBORG UNIVERSITET

Denmark

Address

Fibigerstraede, 13
9220 Aalborg East

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

France

Address

Campus Du Beaulieu
35042 Rennes

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)

France

Address

118 Route De Narbonne
31062 Toulouse

Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas

Spain

Address

Serrano 144
28006 Madrid

DEUTSCHES FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM FUER KUENSTLICHE INTELLIGENZ GMBH

Germany

Address

Stuhlsatzenhausweg 3
66123 Saarbrücken

IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE

United Kingdom

Address

Queens Gate 180
SW7 2BZ London

LINKOEPING UNIVERSITY

Sweden

Address

Valla
83 Linkoeping

Queen Mary and Westfield College

United Kingdom

Address

Mile End Road
E1 4NS London

Technische Universität Carolo-Wilhelmina Braunschweig

Germany

Address

Pockelsstraße 14
38106 Braunschweig

UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI TORINO

Italy

Address

Corso Svizzera 185
10149 Torino

UNIVERSITAIRE INSTELLING ANTWERPEN

Belgium

Address

Universiteitsplein, 1
2610 Wilrijk

UNIVERSITAT DE GRANADA

Spain

Address

Cuesta Del Hospicio
18071 Granada

UNIVERSITE DE FRIBOURG

Switzerland

Address

Misercicorde
1700 Fribourg

UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM

Netherlands

Address

, 7161
1007 MC Amsterdam

UNIVERSITY OF LUND

Sweden

Address

Ole Romers Vag, 1118
221 00 Lund

Università degli Studi di Catania

Italy

Address

Viale Andrea Doria 6
95125 Catania

Université d'Aix-Marseille I (Université de Provence)

France

Address

3 Place Victor Hugo
13331 Marseille

Université de Paris XI (Université Paris-Sud)

France

Address

Avenue Georges Clémenceau
91405 Orsay