INTRODUCTION

Abduction and induction are two forms of reasoning with incomplete information that are appropriate for many important tasks in Artificial Intelligence (AI). To a first approximation, abduction reasons from effects to possible causes, while induction learns general rules to account for particular observations.

As our logical and philosophical understanding of these two forms of reasoning continues to grow, and our computational techniques are steadily improved, it is becoming more and more evident that there are potentially significant benefits to be gained from integrating abduction and induction, in a cooperative way, within an incremental cycle of knowledge development.

This workshop is intended to provide interested researchers with an opportunity to discuss state-of-the-art research into the integration of abduction and induction and to take stock of the considerable progress that has recently been made.

The primary aims of the workshop are as follows:

1. To better understand the role of abduction and induction in the processes of theory formation and revision; and to explore intelligent methodologies for integrating abduction and induction in a incremental cycle of knowledge development.
2. To identify different conceptual models for integrating abduction and induction, and to investigate how this integration can be achieved in a computationally viable way.
3. To determine the benefits that result from the combination of abduction and induction and to characterise the classes of problems that can be usefully solved in this way.
4. To examine possible application areas of scientific modelling, such as systems biology and others, suitable for an integrated framework of abduction and induction.

The workshop will also aim to examine the links to other approaches (philosophical or cognitive) for modelling scientific and other domains.

BACKGROUND

This workshop is intended to build upon the results of three previous workshops (at ECAI'96, IJCAI'97 and ECAI'98) on Abduction and Induction, which culminated in an edited volume, published in 2000, entitled "Abduction and Induction: Essays on their Relation and Integration".

One of the most exciting insights to emerge from this earlier work was the possibility that abduction and induction can be usefully integrated, in a cooperative way, within an incremental cycle of knowledge development (where observations are used to enhance some existing model of phenomena).

Recent work in areas such as Machine Learning and Scientific Discovery is now beginning to indicate the viability of such an integrated approach by providing the first tentative applications of frameworks and systems designed to exploit the combination of abductive and inductive reasoning.

PROGRAMME

VENUE

The workshop will be held in Room 4.03 of the Appleton Tower
in the Centre for Intelligent Systems and their Applications (CISA)
(in the School of Informatics at The University of Edinburgh).
The building is located in Crichton Street, which is in central Edinburgh
just off George Square (click on maps below for more details).

ORGANISERS

Oliver Ray (primary contact) 

Antonis Kakas 

Peter Flach

LOCAL ARRANGEMENTS

Alison Pease 

Sasivimol Kittivoravitkul