Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A Trajectory Approach to Causality

  • Published:
Studia Logica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this paper we propose a new approach to address the ramification problem in common-sense reasoning about action and change. We contrast the methods of McCain and Turner, Thielscher and Sandewall and, based on some of the limitations they encounter, we introduce a trajectory-based approach which keeps a history of the states through which a system evolves to characterise its dynamical state. We furnish an underlying state-transition semantics and a logic that admits an expressive, dynamical account of some typical scenarios which encounter modelling difficulties in the other approaches mentioned.

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

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Denecker, M., D. Dupré, and K. Belleghem, ‘An inductive definition approach to ramifications’, in Linköping Electronic Articles in Computer and Information Science, Linköping University Electronic Press, 3, 1998.

  2. Ginsberg, M., and D. Smith, ‘Reasoning about action I: A possible worlds approach’, Artificial Intelligence 35, 1988.

  3. Ginsberg, M., and D. Smith, ‘Reasoning about action II: The qualification problem’, Artificial Intelligence 35, 1988.

  4. Gustafsson, J., and P. Doherty, ‘Embracing occlusion in specifying the indirect effects of actions’, in Proceedings of the Fifth International Conference on Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, Morgan-Kaufmann, 1996.

  5. Lin, F., ‘Embracing causality in specifying the indirect effects of actions’, in Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 1985-1991, 1995.

  6. McCain, N., and M. Turner, ‘A causal theory of ramifications and qualifications’, in Proceedings of the Fourteenth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, pp. 1978-1984, Montreal, 1995.

  7. Sandewall, E., Features and Fluents, Oxford University Press, 1994.

  8. Sandewall, E., ‘Transition cascade semantics and first assessments results for ramification’, Preliminary report, IDA Technical Report, 1996.

  9. Shanahan, M., ‘The ramification problem in the event calculus’, in Proceedings of the Sixteenth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence, 1999.

  10. Thielscher, M., ‘Ramification and causality’, Artificial Intelligence 89:317-364, 1997.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Winslett, M., ‘Reasoning about actions using the possible models approach’, in Proceedings of the Seventh National Artificial Intelligence Conference, San Mateo, CA., 1988

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Knowledge Systems Group School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, NSW, 2052, Australia

    Victor Jauregui & Norman Foo

  2. Computational Reasoning Group Department of Computing Division of ICS, Macquarie University, NSW, 2109, Australia

    Maurice Pagnucco

Authors
  1. Victor Jauregui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Norman Foo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Maurice Pagnucco
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jauregui, V., Foo, N. & Pagnucco, M. A Trajectory Approach to Causality. Studia Logica 67, 385–401 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010564432183

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010564432183

Search

Navigation