Newsgroups: comp.ai
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!batcomputer!cornell!uw-beaver!ubc-cs!kean
From: kean@cs.ubc.ca (Alex Kean)
Subject: Abductive Reasoning
Message-ID: <1991May3.181328.16368@cs.ubc.ca>
Sender: usenet@cs.ubc.ca (Usenet News)
Organization: University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Date: Fri, 3 May 91 18:13:28 GMT

After working on so call "abductive reasoning" for a while, I am
beginning to wonder about the meaning of the term "abductive
reasoning"  and its historical reason for such name.  From Webster,

	ab-duct \ab-'dekt, eb-; 2 also 'ab-,\
	[L abductus, pp. of abducere, lit., to lead away, fr. ab- + ducere
	     to lead -- more at TOW]
	(1834)
	1: to carry off (as a person) by force
	2: to draw away (as a limb) from a position near or parallel to the
	     median axis of the body; also: to move (similar parts) apart
	-- ab-duc-tor \-'dek-ter\ n

and "abductive" is not found in the dictionary. I always thought of
"abductive reasoning" as a form of reasoning that explain its
conclusion, i.e. provides the proofs as an answer rather that just
yes/no answer. I guess the closest word I came about to express my
statement from Webster is

	ad-duce \e-'d(y):us\ vt  ad-duced; ad-duc-ing
	[L adducere, lit., to lead to, fr. ad- + ducere to lead -- more
	     at TOW]
	(15c)
	:to offer as example, reason, or proof in discussion or analysis
	-- ad-duc-er n

I realized the word "abduction" was coined by Charles Sanders Peirce 
(1839-1914) but I am unable to understand his choice of using the term.


Any thought out there ?

Best Regards,
Alex Kean <kean@cs.ubc.ca>

Department of Computer Science           
University of British Columbia
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