From: itsme213 <itsme213@...>
Date: 2005-06-18T01:20:37+09:00
Subject: Re: Truth maintenance system in Ruby

Sorry, I should have elaborated. It is an AI/logic/rule-based system that
typically handles:

- a collection of assertions
- the network of [rules + assertions] that support each assertion

And hence figures out which assertions should be "true".

This is used for various things, such as:
- to provide justification for claims or assertions
- to support default-based reasoning
- to allow reasoning in the presence of inconsistencies
- broadly, to support a style of reasoning called "non-monotonic reasoning"
i.e. reasoning in which stuff you believe to be true (or at least plausible)
at one stage may become revised later as you add more information, or as you
change your "hypotheses".

Thanks.