Commonsense Inference in Dynamic Spatial Systems: Epistemological Requirements

We demonstrate the role of commonsense inference toward the modeling of qualitative notions of space and spatial change within a dynamic setup. The inference patterns are connected to those that are required to handle the frame problem whilst modeling inertia, and the causal minimisation of Lin [1995] that is required to account for the ramifications of occurrences. Such patterns are both useful and necessary in order to operationalize a domain-independent qualitative spatial theory that is re-usable in arbitrary dynamic spatial systems, e.g., for spatial planning and causal explanation tasks. The illustration, grounded in the context of embedding arbitrary ‘qualitative spatial calculi’ within the situation calculus, utilizes topological and orientation calculi as examples.