Paraconsistent Logic Research

About

This page collects resources and publications related to my research in paraconsistent and non-classical logical systems, with particular focus on applications of Priest's Logic of Paradox (LP) to formal inconsistency tolerance in distributed information systems.

I am currently a visiting researcher in the Department of Philosophy at Saguaro Basin State University. Prior to this appointment I held a postdoctoral position at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), where I worked with the Logics of Formal Inconsistency group under Prof. W. Carnielli.

Classical logic treats contradiction as catastrophic — a single inconsistency renders the entire system useless, as anything can be derived from a contradiction. Paraconsistent logics reject this, allowing meaningful reasoning to continue in the presence of contradictory information. This has significant applications in database theory, legal reasoning, and any domain where conflicting data must be processed without total system failure.

Research Interests

Logics of Formal Inconsistency (LFIs); annotated logic programming; paraconsistent belief revision; applications of LP to multi-source intelligence analysis; non-monotonic reasoning under conflicting testimony; formal models of epistemic tolerance.

Selected Publications

• Vasquez-Holden, R. (2021). Tolerating Contradiction in Multi-Agent Testimony Aggregation: An LFI Approach. Journal of Applied Non-Classical Logics, 31(2), 144–163. [2021]
• Vasquez-Holden, R. & Carnielli, W. (2019). Paraconsistent Frameworks for Conflicting Intelligence Reports. Studia Logica, 107(4), 891–912. [2019]
• Vasquez-Holden, R. (2018). On the Computational Complexity of Belief Revision in LP. Proceedings of the 12th Workshop on Non-Monotonic Reasoning (NMR 2018). [2018]
• Vasquez-Holden, R. (2016). Explosion-Tolerant Reasoning in Distributed Sensor Networks. Ph.D. Dissertation, Saguaro Basin State University. [2016]

Teaching

PHIL 462 — Advanced Topics in Non-Classical Logic (Spring 2020, Spring 2021)
PHIL 310 — Introduction to Formal Logic (Fall 2019, Fall 2020)
PHIL 580 — Graduate Seminar: Inconsistency and Information (Spring 2019)

Course materials for PHIL 462 have been moved to the university LMS. If you are a current student looking for the problem sets, please check your course portal.

Resources

A small collection of introductory resources on paraconsistent logic for students and curious visitors:

Priest, G. (2006). In Contradiction: A Study of the Transconsistent. Oxford University Press.
da Costa, N.C.A. (1974). "On the Theory of Inconsistent Formal Systems." Notre Dame Journal of Formal Logic, 15(4).
Carnielli, W. & Coniglio, M.E. (2016). Paraconsistent Logic: Consistency, Contradiction and Negation. Springer.

I previously maintained a more complete bibliography here but the page became unwieldy. I may restore it if time permits.