Assumptionsholding

Assumptionsholding is the practice of explicitly maintaining a set of propositions that are treated as true for the purpose of reasoning, planning, or operation within a system. It involves designating and recording assumptions so that subsequent conclusions, decisions, or actions can be derived or executed under those conditions. Assumptions can be explicit, stated as premises, or implicit, inferred from the context or past experience. In many domains, an assumptionsholding process is bounded by a context or world, and the held assumptions persist until they are revised or withdrawn by new information or deliberate re-evaluation.

In reasoning systems, holding assumptions reduces complexity by narrowing the space of possibilities. In planning, an agent may act under the assumption that a resource is available or that another agent will behave according to a protocol. In software engineering or simulation, assumptions about inputs, environment, or user behavior define the operating scenario. When evidence contradicts a held assumption, systems may revise beliefs, suspend the assumption, or generate contingency plans.

Risks of assumptionsholding include misalignment with reality, cognitive bias, and brittleness if assumptions are not monitored. Good practice often requires traceability of assumptions, explicit revision rules, and mechanisms for uncertainty management, such as probabilistic weighting or conditional plans.

See also: assumption-based reasoning, default logic, nonmonotonic reasoning, belief revision, contingency planning, model-based reasoning.