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Context-dependent Abduction and Relevance

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Abstract

Based on the premise that what is relevant, consistent, or true may change from context to context, a formal framework of relevance and context is proposed in which

  • contexts are mathematical entities

  • each context has its own language with relevant implication

  • the languages of distinct contexts are connected by embeddings

  • inter-context deduction is supported by bridge rules

  • databases are sets of formulae tagged with deductive histories and the contexts they belong to

  • abduction and revision are supported by a notion of consistency of formulae and sets of formulae which are relative to a context, and which can, in turn, be seen as constituents of agendas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. DFKI, Saarbrücken, Germany

    Dov Gabbay & John Woods

  2. King's College London, London, UK

    Dov Gabbay

  3. Dept. of Mathematics Gimlemeon, Agder University College, 4604, Kristiansand, Norway

    Rolf Nossum

  4. University of British Columbia, Columbia, Canada

    John Woods

Authors
  1. Dov Gabbay
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  2. Rolf Nossum
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  3. John Woods
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Correspondence to Rolf Nossum.

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Gabbay, D., Nossum, R. & Woods, J. Context-dependent Abduction and Relevance. J Philos Logic 35, 65–81 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10992-005-9002-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10992-005-9002-y

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