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Abductive Reasoning in Dynamic Epistemic Logic

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Springer Handbook of Model-Based Science

Part of the book series: Springer Handbooks ((SHB))

Abstract

This chapter proposes a study of abductive reasoning addressing it as an epistemic process that involves both an agent’s information and the actions that modify this information. More precisely, this proposal presents and discusses definitions of an abductive problem and an abductive solution in terms of an agent’s information (her knowledge and beliefs) and the involved epistemic actions (observation and belief revision). The discussion is then formalized with tools from dynamic epistemic logic; under such framework, the properties of the given definitions are studied, an epistemic action representing the application of an abductive step is introduced, and an illustrative example is provided. A number of the most interesting properties of abductive reasoning (those highlighted by Peirce) are shown to be better modeled within this approach.

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Abbreviations

AGM:

Alchourrón, Gärdenfors and Makinson

AKM:

Aliseda–Kakas/Kowalski–Magnani/Meheus

DEL:

dynamic epistemic logic

EL:

epistemic logic

GW:

Gabbay–Woods

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Acknowledgements

The first author acknowledges the support of the project Logics of discovery, heuristics and creativity in the sciences(PAPIIT, IN400514-3), granted by the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Investigación en Lógica, Lenguaje e Información, Universidad de Sevilla, C/ Camilo José Cela S/N, 41018, Sevilla, Spain

    Angel Nepomuceno-Fernández, Fernando Soler-Toscano & Fernando R. Velázquez-Quesada

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  1. Angel Nepomuceno-Fernández
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  2. Fernando Soler-Toscano
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  3. Fernando R. Velázquez-Quesada
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Correspondence to Angel Nepomuceno-Fernández .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Humanities, University of Pavia, Piazza Botta 6, 27100, Pavia, Italy

    Lorenzo Magnani  & Tommaso Bertolotti  & 

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Nepomuceno-Fernández, A., Soler-Toscano, F., Velázquez-Quesada, F.R. (2017). Abductive Reasoning in Dynamic Epistemic Logic. In: Magnani, L., Bertolotti, T. (eds) Springer Handbook of Model-Based Science. Springer Handbooks. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30526-4_13

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-30526-4_13

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-30526-4

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