The Uncertain Reasoner's Companion: A Mathematical Perspective (Cambridge Tracts in Theoretical Computer Science, Series Number 39)

Reasoning under uncertainty, that is, making judgments with only partial knowledge, is a major theme in artificial intelligence. Professor Paris provides here an introduction to the mathematical foundations of the subject. The author presents the key results on the subject, and formalizes within a unified framework the main contemporary approaches and assumptions. He concentrates on giving clear mathematical formulations, analyses, justifications, and consequences of the main theories about uncertain reasoning. Reasoning under uncertainty, that is, making judgements with only partial knowledge, is a major theme in artificial intelligence. Professor Paris provides here an introduction to the mathematical foundations of the subject. It is suited for readers with some knowledge of undergraduate mathematics but is otherwise self-contained, collecting together the key results on the subject and formalizing within a unified framework the main contemporary approaches and assumptions. The author has concentrated on giving clear mathematical formulations, analyses, justifications and consequences of the main theories about uncertain reasoning, so the book can serve as a textbook for beginners or as a starting point for further basic research into the subject. It will be welcomed by graduate students and research workers in logic, philosophy and computer science as an account of how mathematics and artificial intelligence can complement and enrich each other An introduction to the mathematical foundations of the subject. This work will be welcomed by graduate students and research workers in logic, philosophy and computer science as a textbook for beginners. We shall structure this text around a particular question which seems to us to be central to the subject of uncertain reasoning. J.b. Paris. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [202]-206) And Index.