skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: An Algorithm for Constructing and Searching Spaces of Alternative Hypotheses

Journal Article · · Journal of Intelligence Community Research and Development
OSTI ID:983145

In this paper we develop techniques for automated hypothesis generation over data sets that maycontain contradictions. To do so, we make use of the equivalence between two formulations: those offirst order predicate logic with prefix modal quantifiers under the finite model hypothesis and those ofMixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) problems. The equivalence between integer programming and logical satisfiability has been known since Karp'sseminal work in NP-completeness. Other authors have made use of this equivalence to explore efficientmethods of solving the satisfiability problem in the propositional calculus for specific problem types.The work presented here differentiates itself from previous work in that we do not assume that alllogical assertions are true without doubt. Instead we look for alternative hypotheses about the validityof the claims by identifying alternative optimal solutions to a corresponding MILP. We use a collectionof slack variables in the derived linear constraints to indicate the presence of contradictory data orassumptions. The objective is to minimize contradictions between data and assertions represented bythe presence of non-zero slack in the set of linear constraints.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Work for Others (WFO)
DOE Contract Number:
DE-AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
983145
Journal Information:
Journal of Intelligence Community Research and Development, Journal Name: Journal of Intelligence Community Research and Development
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

An Algorithm for Constructing and Searching Spaces of Alternative Hypotheses
Journal Article · Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2011 · IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics, Part B: Cybernetics · OSTI ID:983145

OPERATIONAL TOPOLOGY ESTIMATION OF THREE PHASE UNBALANCED POWER DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS WITH OUTAGES
Other · Mon May 06 00:00:00 EDT 2019 · OSTI ID:983145

A two-level approach to large mixed-integer programs with application to cogeneration in energy-efficient buildings
Journal Article · Tue Apr 12 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Computational Optimization and Applications · OSTI ID:983145