Skip to main content

A New Logical Semantics for Agent Communication

  • Conference paper
Computational Logic in Multi-Agent Systems (CLIMA 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 4371))

Included in the following conference series:

Abstract

In this paper we develop a semantics of our approach based on commitments and arguments for conversational agents. We propose a logical model based on CTL* (Extended Computation Tree Logic) and on dynamic logic. Called Commitment and Argument Network (CAN), our formal framework based on this hybrid approach uses three basic elements: social commitments, actions that agents apply to these commitments and arguments that agents use to support their actions. The advantage of this logical model is to gather all these elements and the existing relations between them within the same framework. The semantics we develop here enables us to reflect the dynamics of agent communication. It also allows us to establish the important link between commitments as a deontic concept and arguments. On the one hand CTL* enables us to express all the temporal aspects related to the handling of commitments and arguments. On the other hand, dynamic logic enables us to capture the actions that agents are committed to achieve.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Amgoud, L., Maudet, N., Parsons, S.: An argumentation-based semantics for agent communication languages. In: 15th European Conf. on AI, pp. 38–42 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Baldoni, M., Baroglio, C., Martelli, A., Patti, V.: Verification of protocol conformance and agent interoperability. In: Toni, F., Torroni, P. (eds.) Computational Logic in Multi-Agent Systems. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3900, pp. 265–283. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  3. Belnap, N., Perloff, M.: The way of the agent. Studia Logica 51, 463–484 (1992)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  4. Belnap, N.: Backwards and towards in the modal logic of Agency. Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 51, 777–807 (1991)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Bentahar, J.: A pragmatic and semantic unified framework for agent communication. Ph.D. Thesis, Laval University, Canada (May 2005)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bentahar, J., Moulin, B., Chaib-draa, B.: Commitment and argument network: a new formalism for agent communication. In: Dignum, F.P.M. (ed.) ACL 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2922, pp. 146–165. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bentahar, J., Moulin, B., Meyer, J-J.C., Chaib-draa, B.: A computational model for conversation policies for agent communication. In: Leite, J.A., Torroni, P. (eds.) Computational Logic in Multi-Agent Systems. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3487, pp. 178–195. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Bentahar, J., Moulin, B., Meyer, J-J.C., Chaib-draa, B.: A logical model for commitment and argument network for agent communication. In: Proc. of the Int. Joint Conf. on AAMAS, pp. 792–799 (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bentahar, J., Moulin, B., Meyer, J-J.C., Chaib-draa, B.: A modal semantics for an argumentation-based pragmatics for agent communication. In: Rahwan, I., Moraïtis, P., Reed, C. (eds.) ArgMAS 2004. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3366, pp. 44–63. Springer, Heidelberg (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Moreira, Á.F., Vieira, R., Bordini, R.H.: Extending the operational semantics of a BDI agent-oriented programming language for introducing speech-act based communication. In: Leite, J.A., Omicini, A., Sterling, L., Torroni, P. (eds.) DALT 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2990, pp. 135–154. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Chellas, B.F.: Time and modality in the logic of agency. Studia Logica 51, 485–518 (1992)

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  12. Costantini, S., Tocchio, A.: About declarative semantics of logic-based agent languages. In: Baldoni, M., Endriss, U., Omicini, A., Torroni, P. (eds.) DALT 2005. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3904, pp. 106–123. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  13. Dung, P.M.: On the acceptability of arguments and its fundamental role in non-monotonic reasoning, logic programming and n-person games. Artificial Intelligence 77, 321–357 (1995)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Elvang-Goransson, M., Fox, J., Krause, P.: Dialectic reasoning with inconsistent information. In: 9th Conf. on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence, pp. 114–121 (1993)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Emerson, E.A., Halpern, J.Y.: Sometimes and not never, revisited: on branching versus linear time temporal logic. Journal ACM 33(1), 151–178 (1986)

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  16. Endriss, U., Maudet, N., Sadri, F., Toni, F.: Protocol conformance for logic-based agents. In: Proc. of the Int. Joint Conf. on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 679–684 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  17. Guerin, F., Pitt, J.: Denotational semantics for agent communication languages. In: Proc. of 5th International Conf. on Autonomous Agents, pp. 497–504 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Harel, D.: Dynamic logic: axiomatics and expressive power. Ph.D. Thesis (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Kakas, A.C., Miller, R., Toni, F.: An argumentation framework for reasoning about actions and change. In: Gelfond, M., Leone, N., Pfeifer, G. (eds.) LPNMR 1999. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 1730, pp. 78–91. Springer, Heidelberg (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  20. Mallya, A., Yolum, P., Singh, M.P.: Resolving commitments among autonomous agents. In: Dignum, F.P.M. (ed.) ACL 2003. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2922, pp. 166–182. Springer, Heidelberg (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Prakken, H., Vreeswijk, G.: Logics for defeasible argumentation. In: Handbook of Philosophical Logic, 2nd edn. (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Sadri, F., Toni, F., Torroni, P.: Dialogues for negotiation: agent varieties and dialogue sequences. In: Meyer, J.-J.C., Tambe, M. (eds.) ATAL 2001. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 2333, pp. 405–421. Springer, Heidelberg (2002)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  23. Singh, M.P.: A social semantics for agent communication language. In: Dignum, F.P.M., Greaves, M. (eds.) Issues in Agent Communication. LNCS, vol. 1916, pp. 31–45. Springer, Heidelberg (2000)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  24. Toni, F.: Multi-agent systems in computational logic: challenges and outcomes of the SOCS project. In: Toni, F., Torroni, P. (eds.) Computational Logic in Multi-Agent Systems. LNCS (LNAI), vol. 3900, pp. 420–426. Springer, Heidelberg (2006)

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  25. Torroni, P.: Computational logic in multi-agent systems: recent advances and future directions. in: Dix, J., Leite, J., Satoh, K. (eds.) Annals of Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence 42(1-3), 293–305. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Verdicchio, M., Colombetti, M.: A logical model of social commitment for agent communication. In: Proc. of the Int. Joint Conf. on AAMAS, pp. 528–535 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Wooldridge, M.: Semantic issues in the verification of agent communication languages. Journal of AAMAS 3(1), 9–31. Springer, Heidelberg (2000)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Katsumi Inoue Ken Satoh Francesca Toni

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2007 Springer Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Bentahar, J., Moulin, B., Meyer, JJ.C., Lespérance, Y. (2007). A New Logical Semantics for Agent Communication. In: Inoue, K., Satoh, K., Toni, F. (eds) Computational Logic in Multi-Agent Systems. CLIMA 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 4371. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69619-3_9

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-69619-3_9

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-69618-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-69619-3

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics