A Logic For Causal Reasoning

We introduce a logical formalism of irreflexivc causal production relations that possesses both a standard monotonic semantics, and a natural nonmonotonic semantics. The formalism is shown to provide a complete characterization for the causal reasoning behind causal theories from [McCain and Turner, 1997]. It is shown also that any causal relation is reducible to its Horn sub-relation with respect to the nonmonotonic semantics. We describe also a general correspondence between causal relations and abductive systems, which shows, in effect, that causal relations allow to express abductive reasoning. The results of the study seem to suggest causal production relations as a viable general framework for nonmonotonic reasoning.

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: IJCAI
• Authors: Alexander Bochman
• Keywords: Causal, Causal Production Relations, Causal Relations, IJCAI 2003, IJCAI 2007