Abstract
If one desires that an automatic theory formation program detect inconsistency in a set of hypotheses, the Horn clause logic of Prolog is unsuitable as no contradiction is derivable. Full first order logic provides a suitably expressive alternative, but then requires a full first order theorem-prover as the basic theory construction mechanism. Here we present an alternative for augmenting definite clauses with the power to express potentially inconsistent scientific theories. The alternative is based on a partitioning of definite clauses into two categories: ordinary assertions, and integrity constraints. This classification provides the basis for a simple theory formation program. We here describe such a theory formation system based on Prolog, and show how it provides an interesting reformulation of rule-based diagnosis systems like MYCIN.
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Goebel, R., Furukawa, K., Poole, D. (1986). Using definite clauses and integrity constraints as the basis for a theory formation approach to diagnostic reasoning. In: Shapiro, E. (eds) Third International Conference on Logic Programming. ICLP 1986. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 225. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-16492-8_77
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-16492-8_77
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