View source for Abductive reasoning

'''Abductive reasoning''' (also called abduction, abductive inference or retroduction) is a form of logical inference which goes from an observation to a theory which accounts for the observation, ideally seeking to find the simplest and most likely explanation.

== Description ==

In abductive reasoning, unlike in deductive reasoning, the premises do not guarantee the conclusion. One can understand abductive reasoning as "inference to the best explanation".

In the 1990s, as computing power grew, the fields of law, [[computer science]], and [[artificial intelligence research]] spurred renewed interest in the subject of abduction.

Diagnostic [[Expert system|expert systems]] frequently employ abduction.

== See also ==

* [[Charles Sanders Peirce bibliography]]
* [[Defeasible reasoning]]
* [[Doug Walton]]
* [[Duck test]]
* [[Gregory Bateson]]
* [[Inductive inference]]
* [[Inductive probability]]
* [[Maximum likelihood]]
* [[Sensemaking]]
* [[Sign relation]]

== External links ==

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abductive_reasoning Abductive reasoning] @ Wikipedia


[[Category:Philosophy]]