BDI and QDT: a comparison based on classical decision theory

In this paper we compare Beliefs-Desire-Intention systems (BDI systems) with Qualitative Decision Theory (QDT). Our analysis based on classical decision theory illustrates several issues where one area may profit from research in the other area. BDI has studied how intentions link subsequent decisions, whereas QDT has studied methods to calculate candidate goals from desires, and how to derive intentions from goals. We also discuss the role of goals and norms in both approaches.

[1]  H. Grüneberg.  An Analysis of the , 1938 .

[2]  L. J. Savage,et al.  The Foundations of Statistics , 1955 .

[3]  D. F. Kerridge,et al.  The Logic of Decision , 1967 .

[4]  B. Hansson.  An analysis of some deontic logics , 1969 .

[5]  G. A. Venters,et al.  Diagnosis and decision making. , 1973, Nordisk medicin.

[6]  R. L. Keeney,et al.  Decisions with Multiple Objectives: Preferences and Value Trade-Offs , 1977, IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics.

[7]  W. Hamilton,et al.  The evolution of cooperation. , 1984, Science.

[8]  Jon Doyle,et al.  A model for deliberation, action, and introspection , 1981, SGAR.

[9]  Michael E. Bratman,et al.  Intention, Plans, and Practical Reason , 1991 .

[10]  Hector J. Levesque,et al.  Intention is Choice with Commitment , 1990, Artif. Intell..

[11]  Preferential Semantics for Goals Planning to Achieve Goals Preferences and Utility , 1991 .

[12]  Anand S. Rao,et al.  Modeling Rational Agents within a BDI-Architecture , 1997, KR.

[13]  Michael P. Wellman,et al.  Planning and Control , 1991 .

[14]  Anand S. Rao,et al.  An Abstract Architecture for Rational Agents , 1992, KR.

[15]  Judea Pearl,et al.  From Conditional Oughts to Qualitative Decision Theory , 1993, UAI.

[16]  Alan Bundy,et al.  Symbolic and Quantitative Approaches to Reasoning and Uncertainty , 1993 .

[17]  Judea Pearl,et al.  Specification and Evaluation of Preferences Under Uncertainty , 1994, KR.

[18]  Surya Mantha,et al.  Towards a Logical Foundation for Qualitative Decision Theory , 1994 .

[19]  Judea Pearl,et al.  Qualitative Decision Theory , 1994, AAAI.

[20]  N. Gilbert,et al.  Artificial Societies: The Computer Simulation of Social Life , 1995 .

[21]  Didier Dubois,et al.  Possibility Theory as a Basis for Qualitative Decision Theory , 1995, IJCAI.

[22]  Gadi Pinkas,et al.  Reasoning, Nonmonotonicity and Learning in Connectionist Networks that Capture Propositional Knowledge , 1995, Artif. Intell..

[23]  Fahiem Bacchus,et al.  Utility Independence in a Qualitative Decision Theory , 1996, KR.

[24]  Richmond H. Thomason,et al.  Nondeterministic Action and Dominance: Foundations for Planning and Qualitative Decision , 1996, TARK.

[25]  Jérôme Lang,et al.  Conditional Desires and Utilities: an Alternative Logical Approach to Qualitative Decision Theory , 1996, ECAI.

[26]  Moshe Tennenholtz,et al.  On the Emergence of Social Conventions: Modeling, Analysis, and Simulations , 1997, Artif. Intell..

[27]  Leon van der Torre,et al.  Phased Labeled Logics of Conditional Goals , 1998, JELIA.

[28]  Craig Boutilier,et al.  Decision-Theoretic Planning: Structural Assumptions and Computational Leverage , 1999, J. Artif. Intell. Res..

[29]  J. Doyle,et al.  Background to qualitative decision theory : Special articles on Bayesian techniques , 1999 .

[30]  Leon van der Torre,et al.  Defeasible Goals , 1999, ESCQARU.

[31]  Richmond H. Thomason,et al.  Desires and Defaults: A Framework for Planning with Inferred Goals , 2000, KR.

[32]  Chunyi Shi,et al.  Modeling social agents in BDO logic , 2000, Proceedings Fourth International Conference on MultiAgent Systems.

[33]  Frank Wolter,et al.  Semi-qualitative Reasoning about Distances: A Preliminary Report , 2000, JELIA.

[34]  Nicholas R. Jennings,et al.  On agent-based software engineering , 2000, Artif. Intell..

[35]  Leon van der Torre,et al.  Input/Output Logics , 2000, J. Philos. Log..

[36]  Nicholas R. Jennings.  On Agent-Based Software Engineering" Artificial Intelligence , 2000 .

[37]  Michael Wooldridge,et al.  Game theoretic and decision theoretic agents , 2000, The Knowledge Engineering Review.

[38]  Mehdi Dastani,et al.  The BOID architecture: conflicts between beliefs, obligations, intentions and desires , 2001, AGENTS '01.

[39]  Leon van der Torre,et al.  Constraints for Input/Output Logics , 2001, J. Philos. Log..

[40]  Jérôme Lang,et al.  Two Kinds of Conflicts Between Desires (and how to resolve them) , 2001 .