[mod.ai] Seminar - Presenting Intuitive Deductions

dale@linc.cis.upenn.edu.UUCP (01/20/87)

		      Penn Math/CS Logic Seminar
			      26 January

		   Presenting Intuitive Deductions
			    Frank Pfenning
		     (pfenning@theory.cs.cmu.edu)
		      Carnegie-Mellon University

A deduction of a theorem may be viewed as an explanation why the theorem
holds.  Unfortunately the automated theorem proving community has
concentrated almost exclusively on determining whether a proposed theorem is
provable - the proofs themselves were secondary.  We will explore how
convincing explanations may be obtained from almost any kind of machine
proof.  This extends work by Dale Miller and Amy Felty (who present
deductions in the sequent calculus) to a natural deduction system.  Also,
our deductions will generally not be normal, that is, they make use of
lemmas which are so frequent in mathematical practice and everyday
reasoning.  We will also briefly discuss possible applications of the
methods in the field which may be called "Inferential Programming".

Math Seminar Room, 4th floor Math/Physics Building, 11:00am