We introduce a new subclass of Allen's interval algebra we call "ORDHorn subclass," which is a strict superset of the "pointisable subclass." We prove that reasoning in the ORD-Horn subclass is a polynomial-time problem and show that the path-consistency method is sufficient for deciding satisfiability. Further, using an extensive machine-generated case analysis, we show that the ORD-Horn subclass is a maximal tractable subclass of the full algebra (assuming<F NaN> P6=NP). In fact, it is the unique greatest tractable subclass amongst the subclasses that contain all basic relations. This work has been supported by the German Ministry for Research and Technology (BMFT) under grant ITW 8901 8 as part of the WIP project and under grant ITW 9201 as part of the TACOS project. 1 1 Introduction Temporal information is often conveyed qualitatively by specifying the relative positions of time intervals such as ". . . point to the figure while explaining the performance of the system . . . "...

... quickly across a wide range of hard SAT problems than any other SAT tester in the literature on comparable platforms. On a Sun SPARCStation 10 running SunOS 4.1.3 U1, POSIT can solve hard random 400-variable 3-SAT problems in about 2 hours on the average. In general, it can solve hard n-variable random 3-SAT problems with search trees of size O(2 n=18:7 ). In addition to justifying these claims, this dissertation describes the most significant achievements of other researchers in this area, and discusses all of the widely known general techniques for speeding up SAT search algorithms. It should be useful to anyone interested in NP-complete problems or combinatorial optimization in general, and it should be particularly useful to researchers in either Artificial Intelligence or Operations Research.

Computational efficiency is a central concern in the design of knowledge representation systems. In order to obtain efficient systems, it has been suggested that one should limit the form of the statements in the knowledge base or use an incomplete inference mechanism. The former approach is often too restrictive for practical applications, whereas the latter leads to uncertainty about exactly what can and cannot be inferred from the knowledge base. We present a third alternative, in which knowledge given in a general representation language is translated (compiled) into a tractable form — allowing for efficient subsequent query answering. We show how propositional logical theories can be compiled into Horn theories that approximate the original information. The approximations bound the original theory from below and above in terms of logical strength. The procedures are extended to other tractable languages (for example, binary clauses) and to the first-order case. Finally, we demonstrate the generality of our approach by compiling concept descriptions in a general framebased language into a tractable form.

The computational properties of qualitative spatial reasoning have been investigated to some degree. However, the question for the boundary between polynomial and NP-hard reasoning problems has not been addressed yet. In this paper we explore this boundary in the "Region Connection Calculus" RCC-8. We extend Bennett's encoding of RCC-8 in modal logic. Based on this encoding, we prove that reasoning is NPcomplete in general and identify a maximal tractable subset of the relations in RCC-8 that contains all base relations. Further, we show that for this subset path-consistency is sufficient for deciding consistency. 1 Introduction When describing a spatial configuration or when reasoning about such a configuration, often it is not possible or desirable to obtain precise, quantitative data. In these cases, qualitative reasoning about spatial configurations may be used. One particular approach in this context has been developed by Randell, Cui, and Cohn [20], the so-called Region Connecti...

We present procedures to compile any propositional clausal database \Sigma into a logically equivalent "compiled" database \Sigma ? such that, for any clause C, \Sigma j= C if and only if there is a unit refutation of \Sigma ? [ :C. It follows that once the compilation process is complete any query about the logical consequences of \Sigma can be correctly answered in time linear in the sum of the sizes of \Sigma ? and the query. The compiled database \Sigma ? is for all but one of the procedures a subset of the set P I (\Sigma) of prime implicates of \Sigma, but \Sigma ? can be exponentially smaller than P I (\Sigma). Of independent interest, we prove the equivalence of unit-refutability with two restrictions of resolution, and provide a new sufficient condition for unit refutation completeness, thus identifying a new class of tractable theories, one which is of interest to abduction problems as well. Finally, we apply the results to the design of a complete LTMS. 1 INTRODUCT...

Reasoning about temporal information is an important task in many areas of Artificial Intelligence. In this paper we address the problem of scalability in temporal reasoning by providing a collection of new algorithms for efficiently managing large sets of qualitative temporal relations. We focus on the class of relations forming the Point Algebra (PA-relations) and on a major extension to include binary disjunctions of PA-relations (PA-disjunctions). Such disjunctions add a great deal of expressive power, including the ability to stipulate disjointness of temporal intervals, which is important in planning applications. Our representation of time is based on timegraphs, graphs partitioned into a set of chains on which the search is supported by a metagraph data structure. The approach is an extension of the time representation proposed by Schubert, Taugher and Miller in the context of story comprehension. The algorithms herein enable construction of a timegraph from a given set of PA-r...

. This chapter summarizes our ongoing research on topological spatial reasoning using the Region Connection Calculus. We are addressing different questions and problems that arise when using this calculus. This includes representational issues, e.g., how can regions be represented and what is the required dimension of the applied space. Further, it includes computational issues, e.g., how hard is it to reason with the calculus and are there efficient algorithms. Finally, we also address cognitive issues, i.e., is the calculus cognitively adequate. 1 Introduction When describing a spatial configuration or when reasoning about such a configuration, often it is not possible or desirable to obtain precise, quantitative data. In these cases, qualitative reasoning about spatial configurations may be used. Different aspects of space can be treated in a qualitative way. Among others there are approaches considering orientation, distance, shape, topology, and combinations of these. A summary o...

. Information about the relative size of spatial regions is often easily accessible and, when combined with other types of spatial information, it can be practically very useful. In this paper we combine a simple framework for reasoning about qualitative size relations with the Region Connection Calculus RCC-8, a widely studied approach for qualitative spatial reasoning with topological relations. Reasoning about RCC-8 relations is NP-hard, but a large maximal tractable subclass of RCC-8 called b H8 was identified. Interestingly, any constraint in RCC-8 \Gamma b H8 can be consistently reduced to a constraint in b H8 , when an appropriate size constraint between the spatial regions is supplied. We propose an O(n 3 ) time path-consistency algorithm based on a novel technique for combining RCC-8 constraints and relative size constraints, where n is the number of spatial regions. We prove its correctness and completeness for deciding consistency when the input contains topological ...

A new positive-unit theorem-proving procedure for equational Horn clauses is presented. It uses a term ordering to restrict paxamodulation to potentially maximal sides of equations. Completeness is shown using proof orderings. 1.

We address the identification of propositional theories for which entailment is tractable, so that every query about logical consequences of the theory can be answered in polynomial time. We map tractable satisfiability classes to tractable entailment classes, including hierarchies of tractable problems; and show that some initially promising conditions for tractability of entailment, proposed by Esghi [13] and del Val [10], surprisingly only identify a subset of renamable Horn. We then consider a potential application of tractable entailment, through a reduction due to Esghi [13] of certain abduction problems to a sequence of entailment problems. Besides clarifying the range of applicability of Esghi's results from the semantic point of view, we show that the reduction can almost trivially fail to be in any of the basic tractable classes discussed in the first part of the paper. We leave open the question of how to more broadly identify tractable entailment classes, as our examples ...