ADVANCES IN (ARTIFICIAL z INTELLIGENCE

In mathematics, examples can be said to be as important to understanding as the traditionally exalted definitions, theorems, and proofs (Rissland 1978). In fact, some mathematical areas developed in response to troublesome counter-examples like modern real function theory which has been called'the branch of mathematics which deals with counter-examples" (Munroe 1953). In the law, examples -- that is, legal cases -- are the basis from which the law derives (at least in common law systems like those of the United States and England): the law is made through court decisions by consideration of specific problems in specific cases. The cases lead to rule-like decisions which are then refined (or perhaps refuted, i.e., overturned) in subsequent cases. In linguistics, for instance in the study of syntax, linguistic rules are derived from study of examples of actual language and are then subjected to testing on more examples. Some examples are taken from the infinite store of run of the mill sentences available to every natural speaker; others, like certain difficult garden path sentences, are fabricated and used as counter-examples are in mathematics.