Tech Report CS-94-38

CHIRON: Planning in an Open-Textured Domain

Kathryn E. Sanders

October 1994

Abstract:

Most work in artificial intelligence and law has concentrated on modelling the type of reasoning done by trial lawyers. In fact, most lawyers' work involves planning -- for example, wills and trusts, real estate deals, and business mergers and acquisitions. Certain planning issues, such as the use of underspecified, or ``open-textured'' rules, are illustrated especially clearly in this domain.

In this thesis, I set forth the characteristic features of planning in law, place it in the context of past artificial intelligence work in both law and planning, and describe {\sc chiron}, a system that I have developed implementing my theory of open-textured planning in the domain of personal income tax law.

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