A Single-Significant-Digit Calculus for Semi-Automated Guesstimation

Abstract

We describe a single-significant-digit calculus for estimating approximate solutions to guesstimation problems. The calculus is formalised as a collection of proof methods, which are combined into proof plans. These proof methods have been implemented as rewrite rules and successfully evaluated in an interactive system, gort, which forms a customised proof plan for each problem and then executes the plan to obtain a solution. This paper is based on the MSc project of Jonathan A. Abourbih and the undergraduate project of Luke Blaney. Dr McNeill was funded by onr project N000140910467. We would like to thank 3 anonymous ijcar referees for their constructive comments, and Aparna Ghagre for information on the quark system.