We present a new approach to deal with default information based on the theory of belief functions. Our semantic structures, inspired by Adams' epsilon semantics, are epsilon-belief assignments, where mass values are either close to 0 or close to 1. In the first part of this paper, we show that these structures can be used to give a uniform semantics to several popular non-monotonic systems, including Kraus, Lehmann and Magidor's system P, Pearl's system Z, Brewka's preferred sub-theories, Geffner's conditional entailment, Pinkas' penalty logic, possibilistic logic and the lexicographic approach. In the second part, we use epsilon-belief assignments to build a new system, called LCD, and show that this system correctly addresses the well-known problems of specificity, irrelevance, blocking of inheritance, ambiguity, and redundancy.

This paper investigates several methods for coping with inconsistency caused by multiple source information, by introducing suitable consequence relations capable of inferring non-trivial conclusions from an inconsistent stratified knowledge base. Some of these methods presuppose a revision step, namely a selection of one or several consistent subsets of formulas, and then classical inference is used for inferring from these subsets. Two alternative methods that do not require any revision step are studied: inference based on arguments, and a new approach called safely supported inference, where inconsistency is kept local. These two last methods look suitable when the inconsistency is due to the presence of several sources of information. The paper offers a comparative study of the various inference modes under inconsistency. 1 Introduction Inconsistency can be encountered in different reasoning tasks, in particular: - when reasoning with exception-tolerant generic knowledge, where ...

When data sources are virtually integrated there is no common and centralized mechanism for maintaining global consistency. In consequHHj9 it is likely that inconsistencies with respect to certain global integrity constraints (ICs)will occu; In this chapter we consider the problem of defining andcompu2;) those answers that are consistent wrt the global ICs when global qubal) are posed tovirtuM data integration systems whosesou)33 are specified following the local-as-view approach.

this paper. Similarly, we have shown that integrity constraints can apply to temporal conditions, but that there is no one uniform approach to handling temporal databases. Many areas of the use of integrity constraints still need investigating. Below, we discuss some aspects associated with this topic that require additional work. ffl Implement semantic query optimization and cooperative answering systems. Current relational and deductive database systems do not provide these capabilities, but the current 30 April 1997 ICs: Semantics and Applications---Godfrey, Grant, Gryz, & Minker p. 36 of 46 standards for SQL provide for the incorporation of some aspects of integrity constraints.

When integrating data coming from multiple different sources we are faced with the possibility of inconsistency in databases. In this paper, we use one of the paraconsistent logics introduced in [9, 7] {\textbf{LFI1}) as a logical framework to model possibly inconsistent database instances obtained by integrating different sources. We propose a method based on the sound and complete tableau proof system of \textbf{LFI1} to treat both the integration process and the evolution of the integrated database submitted to users' updates. In order to treat the integrated database evolution, we introduce a kind of generalized database context, the {\em evolutionary databases}, which are databases having the capability of storing and manipulating inconsistent information and, at the same time, allowing integrity constraints to change in time. We argue that our approach is sufficiently general and can be applied in most circumstances where inconsistency may arise in databases.

The focus of this paper is nonmonotonic reasoning as it relates to logic programming. I discuss the pre-history of nonmonotonic reasoning starting from approximately 1958. I then review the research that has been accomplished in the areas of circumscription, default theory, modal theories and logic programming. The overview includes the major results developed including complexity results that are known about the various theories. I then provide a summary which includes an assessment of the field and what must be done to further research in nonmonotonic reasoning and logic programming. 1 Introduction Classical logic has played a major role in computer science. It has been an important tool both for the development of architecture and of software. Logicians have contended that reasoning, as performed by humans, is also amenable to analysis using classical logic. However, workers in the field of artificial 1 This paper is an updated version of an invited Banquet Address, First Interna...

This paper presents declarative semantics of possibly inconsistent disjunctive logic programs. We introduce the paraconsistent minimal and stable model semantics for extended disjunctive programs, which can distinguish inconsistent information from others in a program. These semantics are based on lattice-structured multi-valued logics, and are characterized by a new fixpoint semantics of extended disjunctive programs. Applications of the paraconsistent semantics for reasoning in inconsistent programs are also presented. Keywords: Extended disjunctive programs, inconsistency, multi-valued logic, paraconsistent stable model semantics. 3 Journal of Logic and Computation 5: 265-285, Oxford University Press, 1995. 1 1

We consider here scalar aggregation queries in databases that may violate a given set of functional dependencies. We show how to compute consistent answers (answers true in every minimal repair of the database) to such queries. We provide a complete characterization of the computational complexity of this problem. We also show how tractability can be obtained in several special cases (one involves a novel application of the perfect graph theory) and present a practical hybrid query evaluation method.

We consider herescalq aggregation queries in databases that mayviolzz a given set of functional dependencies. We de#ne consistent answers to such queries to begreatest-lEzqglzqgl upper bounds on thevalq of thescalW function acrossal (minimal repairs of the database. We show how to compute such answers. We provide acomplWg characterization of thecomputational compltati of thisproblz- Wealf show howtractabilfx can be improved inseveral special cases (oneinvolfz anovel applNgjfzz of Boyce--CoddNormal Form) and present apractical hybrid queryevalq###x method.

The importance of belief merging is reflected by the abundance of the literature about it for the last years. In the following, a model for belief merging based on distances is introduced; many merging operators already pointed out so far can be recovered as specific instances of this model. We investigate the computational aspects of such distance-based operators and give two general results showing that the complexity of inference for them is at the first level of the polynomial hierarchy (under very weak assumptions). Then some specific distance-based operators are considered and their complexity is identified. Finally, distancebased merging operators are investigated from the logical point of view.