The use of logic in information retrieval modelling

Information retrieval is the science concerned with the efficient and effective storage of information for the later retrieval and use by interested parties. During the last forty years, a plethora of information retrieval models and their variations have emerged. Logic-based models were launched to provide a rich and uniform representation of information and its semantics with the aim to improve information retrieval effectiveness. This approach was first advanced in 1986 by Van Rijsbergen with the so-called logical uncertainty principle. Since then, various logic-based models have been developed. This paper presents an introduction to and a survey of the use of logic for information retrieval modelling.