Consistent structuring of inconsistent knowledge

摘要

Inconsistency handling is one of the central problems in many areas of AI. There are different approaches to dealing with contradictions and other types of inconsistency. In this paper, we develop an approach based on logical varieties and prevarieties, which are complex structures constructed from logical calculi. Being locally isomorphic to a logical calculus, globally logical varieties form a logical structure, which allows representation of inconsistent knowledge in a consistent way and provides much more flexibility and efficacy for AI than standard logical methods. Problems of logical variety immersion into a logical calculus are studied. Such immersions extend the local structure of a logical calculus to the global structure of a logical variety. The obtained results demonstrate when it is possible to use standard logical tools, such as logical calculi, and when it is necessary to go beyond this traditional technique. Finally a particular logical variety, the Logic of Reasonable Inferences, applied to the design of legal knowledge based systems is described.