Symbolic models and computational properties of
        constructive reasoning in cognition and creativity

                                          Tarek R. Besold
                                         Digital Media Lab
                     Center for Computing and Communication Technologies (TZI)
                                   University of Bremen, Germany
                                   tarek.besold@uni-bremen.de




                                                        Abstract
                       Analogy is one of the most studied forms of non-classical reasoning
                       working across different domains, usually taken to play a crucial role
                       in creative thought and problem-solving. In the first part of the talk, I
                       will introduce general principles of computational analogy models (re-
                       lying on a generalisation-based approach to analogy-making). We will
                       then have a closer look at Heuristic-Driven Theory Projection (HDTP)
                       as an example for a theoretical framework and implemented system:
                       HDTP computes analogical relations and inferences for domains which
                       are represented using many-sorted first-order logic languages, apply-
                       ing a restricted form of higher-order anti-unification for finding shared
                       structural elements common to both domains. The presentation of
                       the framework will be followed by a few reflections on the cognitive
                       plausibility of the approach motivated by theoretical complexity and
                       tractability considerations. In the second part I will touch upon sev-
                       eral applications of HDTP to modeling important cognitive capacities,
                       including concept blending processes as current hot topic in Cognitive
                       Science.




Copyright c by the paper’s authors. Copying permitted for private and academic purposes.
In: A.M. Olteteanu, Z. Falomir (eds.): Proceedings of ProSocrates 2017: Symposium on Problem-solving, Creativity and Spatial
Reasoning in Cognitive Systems, at Delmenhorst, Germany, July 2017, published at http://ceur-ws.org