Waiting on Weighting: A Symbolic Least Commitment Approach

Kevin D. Ashley, Edwina L. Rissland

Abstract: In this paper we describe an approach to the problem of weighting various factors that contribute to an analysis or outcome of a problem situation and discuss issues about weighting as they touch upon our case-based reasoner HYPO. In HYPO, we take the approach of delaying for as long as possible any assignment of weights and of symbolically comparing the "weights" of competing factors. We call this approach a least commitment weighting scheme.