Skip to main content

A Proposal for Automating Diagrammatic Reasoning in Continuous Domains

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Theory and Application of Diagrams (Diagrams 2000)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 1889))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

This paper presents one approach to the formalisation of diagrammatic proofs as an alternative to algebraic logic. An idea of ‘generic diagrams’ is developed whereby one diagram (or rather, one sequence of diagrams) can be used to prove many instances of a theorem. This allows the extension of Jamnik’s ideas in the Diamond system to continuous domains. The domain is restricted to non-recursive proofs in real analysis whose statement and proof have a strong geometric component. The aim is to develop a system of diagrams and redraw rules to allow a mechanised construction of sequences of diagrams constituting a proof. This approach involves creating a diagrammatic theory. The method is justified formally by (a) a diagrammatic axiomatisation, and (b) an appeal to analysis, viewing the diagram as an object inℝ2. The idea is to then establish an isomorphism between diagrams acted on by redraw rules and instances of a theorem acted on by rewrite rules. We aim to implement these ideas in an interactive prover entitled Rap (the Real Analysis Prover).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 84.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. D. Barker-Plummer, S. C. Bailin, and S. M. Ehrlichman. Diagrams and mathematics, November 1995. Draft copy of an unpublished paper.

    Google Scholar 

  2. J. Barwise and J. Etchemendy. Heterogeneous logic. In J. Glasgow, N. H. Narayanan, and B. Chandrasekaran, editors, Diagrammatic Reasoning: Cognitive and Computational Perspectives, pages 211–234. AAAI Press/The MIT Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  3. P. Hayes. Introduction to “Diagrammatic Reasoning: Theoretical Foundations”. In J. Glasgow, N. H. Narayanan, and B. Chandrasekaran, editors, Diagrammatic Reasoning: Cognitive and Computational Perspectives. AAAI Press/The MIT Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

  4. M. Jamnik. Automating Diagrammatic Proofs of Arithmetic Arguments PhD thesis, Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  5. M. Jamnik, A. Bundy, and I. Green. On automating diagrammatic proofs of arithmetic arguments. Journal of Logic, Language and Information, 8(3):297–321, 1999.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. B Meyer. Constraint diagram reasoning. In J Jaffar, editor, Principles and Practice of Constraint Programming (CP99), number 1713 in Lecture Notes in Computer Science. Springer-Verlag, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  7. R. B. Nelsen. Proofs without Words: Exercises in Visual Thinking. The Mathematical Association of America, 1993.

    Google Scholar 

  8. J. J. O’Connor and E. F. Robertson. Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Musa Al-Khwarizm, July 1999. From online software “The MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive”. http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Al-Khwarizmi.html

  9. J. J. O’Connor and E. F. Robertson. Pythagoras of Samos, July 1999. From online software “The MacTutor History of Mathematics Archive”. http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/history/Mathematicians/Pythagoras.html.

  10. N. Rose. Mathematical Maxims and Minims. Rome Press Inc., Raleigh, NC, USA, 1988.

    Google Scholar 

  11. S. J. Shin. The Logical Status of Diagrams. Cambridge University Press, 1995.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2000 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Winterstein, D., Bundy, A., Jamnik, M. (2000). A Proposal for Automating Diagrammatic Reasoning in Continuous Domains. In: Anderson, M., Cheng, P., Haarslev, V. (eds) Theory and Application of Diagrams. Diagrams 2000. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 1889. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44590-0_26

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-44590-0_26

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-67915-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-44590-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics