Towards mathematical AI via a model of the content and process of mathematical question and answer dialogues

TY - GEN

T1 - Towards mathematical AI via a model of the content and process of mathematical question and answer dialogues

AU - Corneli, Joseph

AU - Martin, Ursula

AU - Murray-Rust, Dave

AU - Pease, Alison

N1 - Martin and Corneli were support by Martin’s EPSRC fellowship award “The Social Machine of Mathematics” (EP/K040251/1); Murray-Rust was supported by “SOCIAM - the theory and practice of Social Machines” (EP/J017728/2).

PY - 2017/6/28

Y1 - 2017/6/28

N2 - This paper outlines a strategy for building semantically meaningful representations and carrying out effective reasoning in technical knowledge domains such as mathematics. Our central assertion is that the semi-structured Q&A format, as used on the popular Stack Exchange network of websites, exposes domain knowledge in a form that is already reasonably close to the structured knowledge formats that computers can reason about. The knowledge in question is not only facts - but discursive, dialectical, argument for purposes of proof and pedagogy. We therefore assert that modelling the Q&A process computationally provides a route to domain understanding that is compatible with the day-to-day practices of mathematicians and students. This position is supported by a small case study that analyses one question from Mathoverflow in detail, using concepts from argumentation theory. A programme of future work, including a rigorous evaluation strategy, is then advanced.

AB - This paper outlines a strategy for building semantically meaningful representations and carrying out effective reasoning in technical knowledge domains such as mathematics. Our central assertion is that the semi-structured Q&A format, as used on the popular Stack Exchange network of websites, exposes domain knowledge in a form that is already reasonably close to the structured knowledge formats that computers can reason about. The knowledge in question is not only facts - but discursive, dialectical, argument for purposes of proof and pedagogy. We therefore assert that modelling the Q&A process computationally provides a route to domain understanding that is compatible with the day-to-day practices of mathematicians and students. This position is supported by a small case study that analyses one question from Mathoverflow in detail, using concepts from argumentation theory. A programme of future work, including a rigorous evaluation strategy, is then advanced.

KW - Argumentation

KW - Mathematics

KW - Q&A

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85025120306

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-319-62075-6_10

DO - 10.1007/978-3-319-62075-6_10

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:85025120306

SN - 9783319620749

VL - 10383

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)

SP - 132

EP - 146

BT - Intelligent Computer Mathematics - 10th International Conference, CICM 2017, Proceedings

PB - Springer Verlag

CY - Switzerland

T2 - 10th International Conference on Intelligent Computer Mathematics, CICM 2017

Y2 - 17 July 2017 through 21 July 2017

ER -