Qualitative reasoning about fit (abstract only)
Douglas S. Green, David C. Brown · 1987
The main goal of this research is to discover the knowledge structures, control strategy, and problem-solving behavior required to determine how two objects best fit together. This sort of reasoning arises in many contexts and can involve any combination of objects, making it difficult to formalize. We therefore restrict the problem space to a particular class of objects. Each object is composed of a base, with features such as pegs, blocks, and holes of various shapes and sizes projecting inward and outward from its surfaces. A fit occurs when surfaces from any two objects can be brought close together by inserting the projections on either surface into the holes on the other. The degree of fit is determined by how tightly the projections fit into the holes and by how close the surfaces lie as a result.