APPLICATIONS OF CIRCUMSCRIPTION TO FORMALIZING COMMONSENSE KNOWLEDGE

We present a new and more symmetric version of the circumscription method of non-monotonic reasoning first described by J. McCarthy and some applications to formalizing common-sense knowledge. The applications in this paper are monthly based on minimizing the abnormality of different aspects of various entities. Included are non-monotonic treatments of 'is-a' hierarchies, the unique names hypothesis, and the frame problem. The new circumscription may be called formula circumscription to distinguish it from the previously defined domain circumscription and predicate circumscription. A still more general formalism called prioritized circumscription is briefly explored