Using formal concept analysis in mathematical discovery

Abstract

Formal concept analysis (FCA) comprises a set of powerful algorithms which can be used for data analysis and manipulation, and a set of visualisation tools which enable the discovery of meaningful relationships between attributes of the data. We explore the potential of combining FCA and mathematical discovery tools in order to better far cilitate discovery tasks. In particular, we propose a novel lookup method for the Encyclopedia of Integer Sequences, and we show how conjectures from the Graffiti discovery program can be better understood using FCA visualisation tools. We argue that, not only can FCA tools greatly enhance the management and visualisation of mathematical knowledge, but they can also be used to drive exploratory processes. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.