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On reasoning about action and change in the fluent calculus

On reasoning about action and change in the fluent calculus
On reasoning about action and change in the fluent calculus

We investigate the possibilities for automatic reasoning about action and change in the Fluent Calculus. To this end, by relating reasoning about action and change in the Fluent Calculus to model checking of dynamic systems, we pursue a systematic approach to analysing Fluent Calculus domains. Motivated by the different properties of Fluent Calculus domains known from the literature we define several Fluent Calculus fragments by syntactic criteria. We distinguish classes of dynamic properties to be inferred, focusing on several versions of planning problems. To apply results concerning the decidability of model checking of dynamic systems to decidability of reasoning about Fluent Calculus domains we establish tight relationships between models of the previously defined Fluent Calculus fragments and well known computational models like finite automata, Petri nets and two-counter machines. Furthermore, we show that dynamic properties, for example the existence of a plan, can be characterised by formulas of modal/temporal logics. Then, for every Fluent Calculus fragment and every class of dynamic properties we investigate the existence of a decision procedure. The results about decidability of all considered planning problems for the Fluent Calculus fragment FCPL is particularly interesting. In FCPL domains we can only use constant fluent and action symbols and the executability of actions must not depend on negative preconditions. Despite these restrictions, FCPL allows the specification of systems with an infinite state space. With the help of our decidability results we develop a partial deduction algorithm to solve conjunctive planning problems for some Fluent Calculus domains. Our algorithm is the first complete reasoning method which can automatically solve conjunctive planning problems for FCPL domains.

University of Southampton
Lehmann, Helko
4f3377c6-3d27-423d-8de9-dcb8feebf814
Lehmann, Helko
4f3377c6-3d27-423d-8de9-dcb8feebf814

Lehmann, Helko (2001) On reasoning about action and change in the fluent calculus. University of Southampton, Doctoral Thesis.

Record type: Thesis (Doctoral)

Abstract

We investigate the possibilities for automatic reasoning about action and change in the Fluent Calculus. To this end, by relating reasoning about action and change in the Fluent Calculus to model checking of dynamic systems, we pursue a systematic approach to analysing Fluent Calculus domains. Motivated by the different properties of Fluent Calculus domains known from the literature we define several Fluent Calculus fragments by syntactic criteria. We distinguish classes of dynamic properties to be inferred, focusing on several versions of planning problems. To apply results concerning the decidability of model checking of dynamic systems to decidability of reasoning about Fluent Calculus domains we establish tight relationships between models of the previously defined Fluent Calculus fragments and well known computational models like finite automata, Petri nets and two-counter machines. Furthermore, we show that dynamic properties, for example the existence of a plan, can be characterised by formulas of modal/temporal logics. Then, for every Fluent Calculus fragment and every class of dynamic properties we investigate the existence of a decision procedure. The results about decidability of all considered planning problems for the Fluent Calculus fragment FCPL is particularly interesting. In FCPL domains we can only use constant fluent and action symbols and the executability of actions must not depend on negative preconditions. Despite these restrictions, FCPL allows the specification of systems with an infinite state space. With the help of our decidability results we develop a partial deduction algorithm to solve conjunctive planning problems for some Fluent Calculus domains. Our algorithm is the first complete reasoning method which can automatically solve conjunctive planning problems for FCPL domains.

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Published date: 2001

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Local EPrints ID: 464720
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/464720
PURE UUID: df5db19b-bafc-45c1-9c1b-028e3d53d912

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Date deposited: 04 Jul 2022 23:58
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 19:43

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Author: Helko Lehmann

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