Qualitative Structural Analysis Using Diagrammatic Reasoning

Diagrammatic reasoning is a type of reasoning in which the pr imary means of inference is direct manipulat ion and inspection of a diagram. Diagrammatic reasoning is prevalent in human problem solving behavior, especially for problems involving spatial relations among physical objects. Our research examines the relationship between diagrammatic and symbolic reasoning in a computational framework. We have bui l t a system, called REDRAW, that emulates the human capability for reasoning w i th pictures in civil engineering. The class of structural analysis problems chosen provides a realistic domain whose solution process requires domain-specific knowledge as well as pictorial reasoning skills. We hypothesize that diagrammatic representations provide an environment where inferences about the physical results of proposed structural configurations can take place in a more intui t ive manner than that possible through purely symbolic representations.