[1] : The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (27 SEP 03)

symbolic inference
     
        the derivation of new facts from known facts and inference
        rules.  this is one of the fundamental operations of
        artificial intelligence and logic programming languages
        like prolog.
     
        inference is a basic part of human reasoning.  for example
        given that all men are mortal and that socrates is a man, it
        is a trivial step to infer that socrates is mortal.  we might
        express these symbolically:
     
        	manx => mortalx.
        	mansocrates.
     
        "if x is a man then x is mortal" and "socrates is a man".
        here, "man", "mortal" and "socrates" are just arbitrary
        symbols which the computer manipulates without reference to or
        knowledge of their external meaning.  a forward chaining
        system a production system could use these to infer the
        new fact
     
        	mortalsocrates.
     
        simply by matching the left-hand-side of the implication
        against the fact and substituting socrates for the variable x.
     
        1994-10-28
     
     
see also:
inference rule artificial intelligence logic programming prolog forward chaining production system 

Inference >> I Words
Inference, definition of term: Inference
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Symbolic, definition of term: Symbolic
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Symbolic Logic >> S Words
Symbolic Logic, definition of term: Symbolic Logic
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