An abductive propositional logic for design reasoning

Design can be seen as a reasoning process based on non-classic logic, in which non-monotonicity and abduction are two essential features. This paper introduces Abductive Propositional Logic (APL), which is a simple but powerful formal system to deal with these two features. To show its capabilities. APL is used to analyze the reasoning of a conceptual design of a scooter. The results reveal that APL is not only a profound basis for developing computer supported design systems, but also a useful tool for analyzing design processes.